3 o PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE.  , 563 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A VARIETY  OF  EXPERIENCE — INCIDENT — ADVENTURE — IN  AND 

OUT  OF  PRISON — REMINISCENCE — THE  RECRUITS — RAIL-MAK- 
ING— OTHER  MATTERS  OF  INTEREST. 

A SKETCH  OF  PRISON  EXPERIENCE. 

BY  W.  R.  LAWRENCE,  LATE  SECOND  LIEUTENANT  COMPANY  C,  SEVENTY-THIRD 
ILLINOIS  REGIMENT. 

On  the  morniDg  of  December  31,  1862,  when  the  right  wing 
of  the  Union  army  was  driven  back  at  the  battle  of  Stone 
River,  I was  one  of  the  three  thousand  captured.  There  was 
little  ceremony  about  it.  With  a squad  of  other  prisoners  I was 
hurried  to  the  rear,  and  crossed  the  river  on  the  railroad  bridge. 
Upon  the  opposite  bank  we  saw  General  Bragg  and  his  staff  view- 
ing the  battle-field. 

On  the  way  back,  our  guards  boasted  of  the  victory  of  the 
morning,  and  informed  us  of  our  good  fortune  in  being  taken  that 
day,  as  upon  the  next  they  would  raise  the  black  flag  and  take  no 
more  Yankee  prisoners.  The  next  day  the  Emancipation  Procla- 
mation was  to  take  effect.  This  act  of  the  President  caused  an^ 
intense  feeling  in  the  South  against  the  North.  Pollard,  in  his 
‘‘Secret  History  of  the  Confederacy,”  states  that,  by  reason  of  it, 
many  of  the  Southern  people,  and  some  of  the  leading  men,  were 
in  favor  of  treating  all  Union  soldiers  captured  upon  their  soil  as 
outlaws,  and  deserving  instant  death.  This  sentiment  may  ac- 
count for  their  cruel  treatment  of  our  prisoners. 

We  were  taken  to  the  court-house  yard  in  Murfreesboro,  and 
there  turned  in  with  hundreds  of  others,  the  larger  portion  of  whom 
had  been  taken  from  Johnson’s  division  upon  our  extreme  right.  The 
commissioned  officers,  about  fifty  in  number,  were  confined  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  court-house.  Prominent  among  these  was 
General  Willich,  who  commanded  a brigade  in  Johnson’s  division. 
In  a vehement  manner  he  censured  his  division  commander  for  the 
surprise  and  rout  in  the  morning.  The  facts,  now  well  known, 
sustain  that  censure. 


564 


SMALL,  THIN,  COLD  BISCUIT:' 


From  the  windows  of  our  room,  the  smoke  of  the  battle,  two 
miles  away,  could  be  plainly  seen,  and  the  sound  of  the  firing  very 
distinctly  heard.  By  these  tokens  the  progress  of  the  fighting 
could  be  determined,  and  they  were  watched  with  the  most  intense 
interest.  Late  in  the  afternoon  a rebel  major  came  into  the  room 
and  informed  us  that  Rosecrans  was  being  rapidly  driven  back, 
and  his  army  was  in  full  retreat  to  Nashville.  His  attention, 
however,  was  called  to  the  fact  that  the  stream  of  prisoners  had 
ceased  to  flow  into  the  court-house  yard  below,  and  that  the  sound 
of  the  battle  indicated  a desperate  conflict,  which  was  proof  that 
Rosecrans  was  holding  his  own,  and  would  more  likely  be  in  Mur- 
freesboro before  going  to  Nashville.  So  it  proved  to  be. 

At  sundown  we  were  moved  to  the  railroad  depot,  and  packed 
into  box-cars  for  shipment.  The  doors  were  closed,  and  a few 
guards  assigned  to  each  car.  As  the  train  rolled  away  we  could 
still  hear  the  sullen  sound  of  battle. 

Some  of  our  number  were  suffering  from  wounds  that  needed 
surgical  attention.  All  were  hungry  and  much  fatigued.  The 
whole  of  the  night  before,  our  part  of  the  army  had  lain  in  line 
of  battle,  without  fire  or  shelter,  under  a cold  December  sky. 
The  enemy  struck  us  soon  after  daylight  in  overpowering  numbers, 
and  fiercely.  It  was  fight  and  retreat  for  hours  over  rough 
ground,  which  tested  the  strength  and  endurance  of  the  best 
soldiers.  Not  a man  had  eaten  during  the  day.  Our  haversacks 
and  equipments  were  taken  by  the  captors. 

There  arose  a clamor  and  demand  for  rations.  They  were 
promised  to  be  furnished  at  Tullahoma.  This  place  was  reached 
far  into  the  night,  because  of  the  delays  by  side-tracking  to  allow 
important  trains  to  go  to  the  front.  The  supply  of  food  at  Tulla- 
homa was  of  the  most  meager  kind.  In  the  scramble  for  it  I got 
a small,  thin,  cold  biscuit. 

We  were  moved  slowly,  and,  like  a jury  considering  its  ver- 
dict, were  kept  in  the  box-cars  “without  meat  or  drink,  water 
excepted,'*  until  Chattanooga  was  reached  late  in  the  evening 
of  January  1,  1863.  Here  we  were  marched  to  a vacant  build- 
ing in  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  had  issued  to  us  rations  of 
corn-meal  and  pork,  to  be  cooked  according  to  our  tastes.  Half 
cooked,  in  the  quickest  manner,  it  was  soon  eaten.  After  a short 
halt,  we  were  moved  back  to  our  cars,  and  through  the  long  night 
rolled  deeper  into  the  Confederacy.  Near  morning  we  were  in- 
formed that  Atlanta  was  at  hand,  and  that  we  would  there  be  kept 
for  some  time. 


m,^u.rv^\j  9 3Tr^(^l|  N^\jul\y^ 


LIEUTENANT  LA  WRENGE'S  EXPERIENCE,  565 


We  were  taken  to  a three-story  brick  building  upon  a street 
corner,  and  put  in  the  upper  story.  The  place  had  evidently 
been  used  as  a lodge-room,  some  of  the  stands  and  platforms 
still  being  in  their  places,  and  several  large  chandeliers  hung  from 
the  ceilings ; otherwise  the  room  was  bare  and  dirty,  but  densely 
populated,  as  we  soon  found  to  our  grief,  by  the  ever-present, 
body-devouring,  sleep-defying  prison-louse. 

Food  was  issued  to  us  once  a day.  In  the  mornings  a negro 
came  up  with  a wooden  tray,  filled  with  boiled  beef,  upon  his 
head,  and  throwing  the  contents  upon  a table,  announced  the  hos- 
pitality of  our  host  with,  “Here’s  yo’  meat.”  This  was  followed 
shortly  by  the  same  tray  filled  with  corn-bread,  and  unloaded  with 
a like  ceremony,  “Here ’s  yo’  co’n-bread.”  These  scant  supplies  were 
carefully  divided  among  the  prisoners,  and  alone  would  have  barely 
sufficed  to  sustain  life. 

The  want  of  food,  however,  was  much  alleviated  by  the  per- 
mission given  to  buy  eatables.  Greenbacks  were  readily  taken  for 
Confederate  scrip,  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  of  ours  for  two  of  theirs. 
One,  or  even  two,  prisoners  at  a time  were  allowed  to  go  into  the 
market  with  a guard,  and  buy  supplies.  The  purchases  were 
mainly  sweet  potatoes,  onions,  and  butter.  A delicious  compound 
was  made  with  these,  and  the  corn-bread  and  beef,  stewed  together 
in  an  oyster-can. 

Lieutenant  Elliott,  of  the  36th  Illinois,  got  into  serious  trouble 
on  one  of  the  market  trips.  He  had  a number  of  bills  known  as 
“/ac  simih  Confederate  money,”  made  in  the  North,  and  used  to 
some  extent  by  our  soldiers  in  the  South.  It  was  not  difficult  to 
detect,  because  of  better  workmanship  than  that  which  it  was  in- 
tended to  imitate.  He  paid  for  a large  purchase  of  supplies  with 
this  paper.  Soon  after  his  return  to  the  prison,  a citizen  with  a 
guard  came  in,  and  after  a brief  search,  Elliott  was  pointed  out 
by  the  citizen,  and  he  was  at  once  taken  away.  After  a few  hours' 
absence  he  was  brought  back,  when  he  informed  us  that  he  had 
been  taken  before  a magistrate,  and  an  examination  had  upon  the 
charge  of  passing  counterfeit  money,  and  that  he  was  likely  to 
be  indicted  by  the  grand  jury  and  sent  to  the  Georgia  penitentiary 
for  his  life-time,  or  during  the  life-time  of  the  Confederacy.  This 
became  a solemn  matter  for  the  lieutenant.  Plans  for  his  escape 
became  a topic  of  interest.  The  building  was  at  all  times  sur- 
rounded by  vigilant  sentinels,  continually  passing  their  beats.  The 
stairways  and  the  door  leading  to  our  room  were  constantly 


i 96261 


566 


VARIOUS  PASTIMES. 


Tvatched  by  a number  of  guards.  One  of  the  rooms  in  the  second 
story  of  the  building  was  used  as  a sort  of  hospital  for  our  sick. 
The  lieutenant  soon  became  sick,  and  was  taken  to  the  hospital 
room.  Here,  by  some  means,  he  became  possessed  of  a full  suit 
of  butternut  jeans  and  a hat — doubtless  through  the  persuasive 
effect  of  greenbacks  upon  the  guard.  He  had  a map  and  small 
pocket  compass,  which  were  usually  carried  by  our  officers.  One 
dark,  rainy,  windy  night,  he  let  himself  from  the  second  story 
window  to  the  ground  by  blankets  tied  together  and  passed  be- 
tween the  pacing  sentinels.  When  a few  feet  beyond  them,  his 
escape  from  the  city  was  easy,  After  many  days  he  reached  our 
lines  near  Corinth,  Mississippi.  I' met  him  in  the  following  May 
at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  my  return  to  my  regiment,  when  he 
gave  me  a graphic  account  of  his  adventures. 

The  only  means  for  warming  our  room  and  cooking  our  simple 
fare  were  three  small  fire-places  and  green  pine-wood.  Each 
prisoner  was  furnished  an  army  blanket  that  appeared  to  have 
been  in  the  service  during  the  war,  and  was  very  dirty.  Our  bed 
was  the  floor.  The  vermin  which  infested  the  place  were  a source 
of  endless  torment. 

The  blonde  and  thin-skinned  German,  General  Willich,  was 
greatly  troubled  with  these  pests.  He  got  mercurial  ointment  to 
destroy  them,  and  made  a liberal  application  of  it  upon  his  person 
and  clothing.  It  soon  made  him  very  sick,  and  he  was  taken  to 
the  hospital  room  below.  After  some  days’  absence  he  returned  to 
us,  very  thin  and  pale,  and  with  much  dejection  said:  “ If  I stay 
here  the  little  vermins  will  kill  me,  and  if  I use  medicine  to  kill 
the  vermins,  the  medicine  kills  me ; so,  I think,  poys,  I am 
done  for.” 

Several  kinds  of  amusement  were  devised  to  occupy  the  long 
winter  evenings.  There  was  no  restraint  upon  the  use  of  gas,  and 
at  night  all  the  jets  of  the  chandeliers  were  fully  turned  on,  which 
flooded  the  room  with  light.  For  a consideration,  a guard  was 
induced  to  get  us  a fiddle.  With  this  music  ‘ ‘ stag  dances  ” were 
of  nightly  occurrence  for  some  time.  Tiring  of  this.  General 
Willich  was  enlisted  to  lecture  upon  military  science.  Captain 
Edgerton,  of  an  Ohio  battery,  a fine  elocutionist,  read  from 
Shakespeare.  An  Indiana  lieutenant  instructed  a class  in  calis- 
thenics. Much  of  the  day-time  was  employed  in  games  of  cards, 
chess,  and  checkers.  Confederate  officers  were  frequent  visitors. 
Their  talk  was  largely  devoted  to  the  project  of  forming  a North- 


ON  TO  RICHMOND. 


567 


western  Confederacy.  It  was  argued  by  them  that  the  people  of 
the  North-western  States  and  those  of  the  South  were  natural 
allies;  that  the  Mississippi  was  the  natural,  and  should  be  the 
free  highway  for  these  two  sections  of  the  country.  These  views, 
however,  met  no  favor  from  the  prisoners.  Facts  have  since  come 
to  light  that  show  the  same  views  were  entertained  by  a class  in 
the  North,  who  at  that  particular  time  were  noted  for  disloyalty 
to  the  Government,  and  who  were  in  close  communication  with 
the  enemy  in  the  South. 

Thus  passed  the  time  until  about  the  middle  of  February,  when 
the  information  was  given  that  we  would  be  moved  at  once  to 
Richmond  for  exchange.  It  was  received  with  great  satisfaction. 
At  night  we  were  moved  out  and  placed  in  box-cars,  but  without 
guards.  Augusta  was  reached  the  next  morning,  and  here  we 
were  kept  in  the  large  depot  building  until  dark.  Passenger  cars 
were  now  furnished  us,  and  we  started  across  South  Carolina. 
Recent  heavy  rains  had  swollen  the  rivers  and  flooded  the 
country,  which  prevented  rapid  running  of  the  train,  and  we  did 
not  reach  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  until  late  the  next  evening. 
Very  light  rations  had  been  given  us  when  we  left  Atlanta,  and 
none  had  been  issued  to  us  on  the  route.  Some  foraging  was 
done  while  going  through  South  Carolina  at  the  many  stopping- 
places. 

When  Weldon,  North  Carolina,  was  reached,  the  demand  for 
food  was  so  determined,  that  the  officer  in  charge  managed  to  get 
us  some  meat  and  hard  bread. 

A short  time  before  we  got  to  this  place,  a lieutenant  of  an 
Ohio  regiment,  known  by  the  name  of  “Shakespeare,”  because  of 
his  happy  faculty  of  quoting  from  this  poet  to  fit  our  condition, 
was  left  in  the  gloomy  pine- woods  of  North  Carolina.  While  the 
engine  was  taking  water  at  a tank  he  left  the  train  to  go  to  a 
cabin  a short  distance  away  to  get  bread,  against  the  protests  ot 
his  comrades.  Before  he  finished  negotiating  for  the  food,  the 
train  started.  He  ran  screaming  and  gesticulating  to  stop  it,  but 
without  avail.  The  last  we  saw  of  “ Shakespeare  ” he  was  stand- 
ing upon  the  track  waving  his  hat.  He  was  but  a few  miles  from 
the  coast  and  our  forces,  but  believing  that  we  were  on  the  sure 
road  to  freedom,  he  boarded  several  trains  before  he  was  allowed 
to  ride  into  Richmond  as  a Yankee  prisoner.  When  he  found 
that  we  were  guests  at  the  Hotel  de  Libby,  and  he  was  invited  to 
join  us,  he  discovered  his  great  mistake  of  “on  to  Richmond.” 


568 


ONE  MEAL  A BAY, 


We  reached  Richmond  in  the  night  and  were  taken  directly  to 
Libby  prison,  entering  the  door  at  the  north-western  corner  where 
hung  the  sign,  “Libby  & Son,  Ship  Chandlers.”  It  was  a large 
brick  structure  fronting  north,  and  situate  near  the  James  River, 
between  which  and  the  prison  ran  the  canal.  It  has  since  been 
removed  to  Chicago,  and  now  stands  upon  the  east  side  of  Wabash 
Avenue,  fronting  west,  and  is  an  exact  representation  of  the 
original. 

The  first  quarters  assigned  us  were  in  the  basement  in  the  west 
end,  a room  one  hundred  feet  long  by  forty  feet  wide,  with  three 
windows  in  the  south  end  looking  out  upon  the  river.  It  was  a 
dark,  damp,  gloomy  place,  in  which  there  were  several  hundred 
prisoners  besides  our  Atlanta  recruits. 

When  the  heavy  door  with  its  iron  fastenings  clanged  behind 
us,  the  trick  to  get  us  through  the  Confederacy  without  guards, 
upon  the  promise  of  exchange,  was  apparent. 

We  had  been  changed  from  bad  to  a great  deal  worse.  Our 
quarters  were  now  of  the  very  worst  kind.  Our  food  was  not 
increased  in  quality  or  quantity,  and  there  was  no  longer  the  op- 
portunity to  supply  the  deficiency  by  purchase.  A half  loaf  of 
baker’s  bread,  about  one-fourth  ration  of  inferior  raw  beef,  and  a 
like  ration  of  black  beans,  or  rice,  were  issued  to  each  prisoner 
daily.  A few  cook-stoves  were  provided  for  cooking  the  food. 

For  convenience  the  crowd  was  divided  into  messes  of  twelve, 
and  numbered.  Each  mess  took  its  turn  in  cooking,  and  the 
cooking  was  from  daylight  till  dark  to  allow  one  meal  a day  for 
each  mess.  There  were  about  fifty  messes  in  this  room. 

Soon  after  we  got  to  Libby,  General  Stoughton,  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  was  brought  a prisoner  to  our  room.  It  was  re- 
ported that  he  had  been  captured  by  Mosby’s  men,  outside  of  our 
lines,  while  sharing  the  hospitality  of  a Virginia  family.  He  was 
a very  promising  young  ofl&cer,  and  made  a fine  appearance  in  his 
new  bright  uniform,  particularly  when  contrasted  with  the  dirty, 
tattered  garbs  of  his  new  acquaintances  in  misery.  But  there  was 
no  distinction  in  rank ; the  generals  and  colonels  did  their  share 
of  the  cooking  with  the  second  lieutenants,  and  all  fought  lice 
together. 

Several  squads  of  recruits  came  in  from  time  to  time.  There 
were  General  Coburn  and  his  oflicers,  captured  at  Spring  Hill, 
Tennessee;  Colonel  Fletcher,  of  the  31st  Missouri,  and  several 
officers  of  his  regiment,  captured  in  the  bloody  charge  at  Chicka- 


LAWRENCE^S  PRISON  EXPERIENCE. 


569 


saw  Bayou.  There  was  an  addition  of  a few  naval  officers,  taken 
down  upon  the  coast. 

We  were  not  kept  a great  while  in  this  “ black  hole  of  Cal- 
cutta,” as  it  was  called;  then  we  were  moved  to  the  top  room  in 
the  east  end  of  the  building.  It  was  a very  agreeable  change, 
being  light  and  airy,  although  part  of  the  time  quite  cold. 

From  the  beef  issued  to  us  we  got  a large  amount  of  bone. 
The  whitest  and  hardest  portions  of  it  were  worked  into  various 
ornaments  and  trinkets.  This  became  quite  an  industry,  and 
many  of  the  men  showed  much  artistic  skill  in  their  work.  The 
case-knives  furnished  us  to  eat  with  were  made  into  saw^s  to  divide 
the  bone  into  the  proper  dimensions.  Some  of  the  kindly  dis- 
posed guards  were  induced  to  get  us  a few  small  files,  and  with 
these  tools  the  bone  was  fashioned  into  many  curious  shapes. 
Cards,  chess,  and  checkers  employed  the  time  of  many.  Lights 
were  not  allowed  at  night. 

Each  morning  the  prisoners  were  put  in  six  ranks,  extending 
the  length  of  the  room,  and  counted.  This  appeared  an  unneces- 
sary regulation,  as  escape  did  not  appear  possible.  The  guard 
duty  about  the  prison  was  most  rigid  and  vigilant.  Some  months 
after  our  release,  however.  General  Streight  and  a large  number 
of  prisoners  escaped  from  a room  upon  the  floor  below  the  one 
occupied  by  us.  An  entrance  was  made  into  the  basement  or 
cellar,  and  from  the  east  wall  a tunnel  was  dug  beneath  a narrow 
open  space  of  ground,  coming  out  in  a tobacco-shed  about  forty 
feet  from  the  prison.  We  were  more  rigidly  guarded,  not  being 
allowed  to  look  out  of  a window  or  go  about  the  opening  in  the 
floor  that  led  into  the  room  below. 

Every  morning  about  sun-up  an  old  colored  man  came  into  the 
prison  with  the  Richmond  dailies  for  sale — the  Enquirer  and 
Examiner.  He  announced  his  coming  at  the  head  of  the  stairway 
in  a loud  voice:  “ Heah’s  yo’  mo’ning  papers — EnquiaJi  and  Ex- 
aminah — great  news  from  Fredericksburg  — twenty  thousand 
Yankees  killed,  and  de  balance  ob  dem  taken  pris’nahs!”  When 
the  old  man  got  upon  the  floor  and  was  crowded  about  for  the 
papers,  his  sly  grins  showed  that  his  speech  was  made  as  much  to 
please  the  guards  below  as  to  induce  the  purchase  of  his  wares. 

Military  operations  were  active  about  Fredericksburg  and 
Chancellorsville  during  our  stay  at  Libby,  and  furnished  most  of 
the  news  for  the  Richmond  papers. 

A short  time  before  we  left,  Stoneman’s  raid  caused  great 


570 


A GLOOMY  PROSPECT. 


excitement  in  the  city.  One  Sunday  morning  the  long  roll  was 
beat  at  the  guard  quarters  across  the  street.  There  was  a hurried 
formation  of  them  in  the  street,  and  they  were  at  once  marched 
away,  and  men  in  citizen’s  dress  were  substituted  for  them  as  sen- 
tinels. A notion  prevailed  among  some  of  the  prisoners  that 
these  new  men  might  be  overpowered  by  a rush  and  our  escape 
thus  made.  As  preliminary,  a few  bricks  were  torn  from  the  wall 
and  thrown  down  at  the  guards,  to  which  they  very  promptly  re- 
sponded by  shots.  This  discouraged  all  thought  of  getting  out  by 
stampeding  the  guards. 

As  the  weeks  slowly  went  by,  and  spring  began  to  change  the 
gray  hills  and  fields  across  the  James  to  a pleasing  green,  the 
murmurings  of  the  six  hundred  penned  in  this  miserable  place 
became  general.  The  probability  of  an  early  exchange  had  dis- 
appeared. Confinement  here  during  the  long  heat  of  summer 
was  viewed  with  dread  by  the  most  indifferent.  The  food  fur- 
nished would  not  keep  down  the  constant  irritation  of  hunger. 
The  ceaseless  annoyance,  that  amounted  to  torture,  of  the  vermin 
crawling  and  creeping  everywhere,  rasped  the  nerves  of  the  most 
stoical.  The  narrow  space  in  which  to  move  and  exercise  was  a 
serious  matter.  There  were  no  means  for  a change  of  clothing  or 
for  personal  cleanliness.  All  tended  to  make  this  prison  life  a horror. 

At  about  the  gloomiest  time.  General  Quid,  the  rebel  commis- 
sioner of  exchange,  visited  us,  and  he  was  at  once  plied  with 
questions  as  to  the  chances  of  release.  He  was  an  affable,  smooth- 
spoken man,  and  very  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  regret  at  our 
situation.  He  claimed  that  it  was  all  the  fault  of  our  Govern- 
ment that  we  were  not  exchanged;  that  he  had  gone  to  the  ex- 
treme of  liberality  to  bring  about  an  exchange  of  prisoners.  He 
did  not  omit  to  depict  our  sad  condition  in  the  coming  summer 
months  should  our  Government  persist  in  refusing  the  generous 
terms  of  exchange  offered  by  the  Confederacy.  With  plausibility 
he  argued  that  the  South  was  less  able  to  keep  prisoners  than  the 
North,  and  that  they  needed  their  imprisoned  soldiers  more  than 
the  North  did  hers. 

The  commissioner’s  speech  aroused  expressions  of  censure  of 
our  Government  by  some  of  the  prisoners.  A little  incident 
quickly  hushed  it.  A lieutenant  of  the  31st  Missouri  was  rather 
loud  and  severe  in  his  criticism,  when  Colonel  Fletcher,  of  the 
same  regiment,  sharply  reprimanded  him,  and  gave  him  to  under- 
stand that  such  expressions  were  unbecoming  an  officer,  and  if 


FREEDOM,  HOME,  AND  FRIENDS. 


571 


persisted  in  that  he  would  subject  himself  to  court-martial  upon 
his  return  to  his  regiment. 

On  the  evening  of  May  3d  it  was  announced  by  the  officers  of  the 
prison  that  we  would  be  taken  to  City  Point  the  next  morning  for  ex- 
change. The  joy  of  the  prospect  of  release  took  the  place  of  sleep  for 
that  night.  Those,  however,  who  had  been  transferred  from  Atlanta  to 
Richmond,  upon  the  promise  of  immediate  exchange  were  not  so 
exultant  as  their  comrades.  We  had  begun  to  learn  that  the  state- 
ments of  an  enemy  in  time  of  war  were  not  at  all  times  reliable. 

But  at  dawn  the  next  morning  the  door  in  the  floor  was  thrown 
up,  and  Major  Winder,  from  the  top  of  the  steps  in  pompous  tone 
commanded:  “Fall  in  to  be  marched  out!”  We  were  hurried 
down  and  through  the  building,  out  of  the  door  we  had  entered, 
when  each  man  was  given  a half  loaf  of  bread.  The  march  was 
along  the  street  near  the  river  to  the  railroad,  where  flat  and  box 
cars  were  ready,  and  without  delay  we  were  soon  moving  away. 
A number  of  us  took  deck  passage — the  top  of  the  box  cars — to 
get  a wide  view  of  the  Virginia  scenery  that  had  been  so  long  shut 
off  by  the  walls  of  Libby. 

By  noon  the  James  River  began  to  broaden,  which  had  the 
pleasing  significance  that  we  were  going  toward  City  Point.  Shortly 
a great  cheer  began  at  the  head  of  the  train  and  ran  the  length  of 
it.  Through  the  young  leaves  of  the  trees  skirting  the  river  the 
glimpse  of  the  flag  was  seen  fluttering  from  the  mast  of  a vessel. 
Before,  to  the  unsentimental,  this  emblem  of  our  country  had 
been  merely  a banner  to  designate  it,  for  its  soldiers  to  follow,  to 
rally  around,  and  to  guide  the  lines  of  march  and  battle.  Now  it 
was  the  rainbow  of  hope,  and  promise  of  freedom,  home,  and 
friends — representing  all  that  we  had  fought  for  and  suffered. 

The  wheels  of  the  train  had  not  ceased  to  turn  when  a wild 
break  was  made  for  the  vessel  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  at  the 
wharf  to  receive  us.  It  soon  steamed  out  into  the  broad  James, 
and  we  left  the  land  of  Dixie. 

We  were  taken  to  Annapolis,  and  after  a few  days’  stay,  during 
which  we  got  an  entirely  new  outfit  of  clothing,  we  were  furnished 
transportation  and  ordered  to  report  to  our  regiments. 

I found  my  regiment  in  camp  at  Murfreesboro,  within  two 
miles  of  the  spot  I had  last  seen  it  nearly  five  months  before.  I 
had  made  the  “grand  rounds  ” of  two  thousand  miles,  and  returned, 

“ Like  a hare  whom  hounds  and  horns  pursue, 

Pants  to  the  place  from  whence  at  first  he  flew.” 


672 


IMPRISONMENT  AND  ESCAPE. 


SERGEANT  WILLIAM  CAMMIRE. 

The  battle  of  Chickamaugua  was  the  beginning  of  a 
new  experience  to  a number  of  the  73d.  Some  thirty 
of  the  regiment  were  captured  by  the  rebels  on  that 
fateful  September  day,  in  the  valley  of  “ the  river  of 
death!'  Among  them  was  Sergeant  William  Cammire, 
of  Company  H.  Before  the  war  ended,  Sergeant  Cam- 
mire died  from  the  effects  of  a wound  received  in 
battle.  But  for  a wound  he  would  probably  not  have 
been  captured ; but  he  might  have  been  killed,  as  he 
was  a man  of  courage  and  determination,  and  disposed 
to  go  where  duty  called,  no  matter  how  great  the  risk 
or  danger. 

Cammire  related  the  facts  and  circumstances  of  his 
capture,  imprisonment,  and  escape  to  Major  Pond,  our 
regimental  surgeon,  who  made  a record  of  the  same. 
This  record  we  reproduce  in  part,  distinguishing  the 
part  quoted  from  the  part  we  summarize  or  condense. 

In  a short  time  after  we  came  in  immediate  con- 
tact with  the  enemy,  Cammire  was  wounded  and  be- 
came a prisoner;  but  being  unconscious,  he  was  not 
apprised  of  his  real  condition  and  surroundings  for 
several  hours.  He  gradually  regained  consciousness, 
and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  at  first  that  he  made 
out  where  he  was.  On  regaining  consciousness  fully, 
he  found  himself  on  the  battle-field,  alone  of  the  living, 
but  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  dead  of  both  the 
Union  and  Confederate  armies.  Sustaining  quite  a loss 
of  blood  from  the  ugly  wound  he  had  received  behind 
the  right  ear,  there  was  not  only  depletion  of  strength, 
but  a dryness  of  the  lips  and  tongue,  and  a sensation 
of  thirst,  intense  and  insatiable  almost.  He  began  his 


RESOLVED  TO  ESCAPE, 


573 


search  for  water  at  once.  It  was  past  midnight,  and 
the  search  was  necessarily  slow  and  tedious,  but  his 
patience  was  at  length  rewarded  by  finding  a canteen 
partly  full  of  water,  which  he  detached  from  the  body 
of  a dead  soldier,  and  quenched  his  thirst. 

He  would  have  made  his  way  from  the  battle-field, 
but  lack  of  strength  and  ignorance  as  to  the  proper 
direction  to  take  forbade  the  venture.  So,  heart-sick 
and  weary,  he  reluctantly  wrapped  his  blanket  about 
him,  and  lay  down  to  rest.  After  a seemingly  long  time, 
he  fell  asleep.  We  will  allow  Cammire’s  words,  as  re- 
corded by  Dr.  Pond,  to  tell  the  story  : 

“ I was  awakened  by  some  one  pulling  at  my  blanket.  I 
started  up  suddenly,  and  there  stood  before  me  a Confederate 
officer,  who  seemed  to  be  as  much  surprised  as  I was  myself.  The 
first  word  spoken  was  by  the  officer,  who  said : ‘ Hello ! you  are 
not  dead.’  I answered  : ‘ No,  sir ; not  quite.’  This  officer  had 
come  upon  this  part  of  the  battle-field  with  a large  detail  of  sol- 
diers, to  bury  the  dead,  collect  the  war  material,  and  remove  the 
wounded.  I asked  him  for  a drink  of  water,  which  he  granted. 

“ They  took  my  gun  and  cartridge-box,  but  left  me  my  blanket, 
canteen,  and  haversack ; the  latter  still  contained  some  crackers. 
I was  never  harshly  treated  by  any  Confederate  while  I was  a 
prisoner.  I was  conducted  to  a point  where  a number  of  pris- 
oners, mostly  wounded,  were  collected  together.  From  this  point 
we  were  taken  to  Dalton,  a station  on  the  railroad ; the  badly 
wounded  in  ambulances,  the  slightly  wounded  in  wagons,  and 
those  that  were  able,  marched.  It  was  nearly  night  when  we 
reached  the  station,  and  the  surgeons  were  busy  through  the  night 
with  the  wounded.  Next  day  my  wound  was  dressed.  It  was 
very  sore  and  painful  for  several  days,  and  my  horror  of  being  a 
prisoner  of  war  was  aggravated  by  the  knowledge  I had  gained  of 
the  scant  rations  and  accommodations  for  men  worse  off  than 
myself,  and  I resolved  that  I would  in  some  way  make  my  escape. 

“ In  the  course  of  two  days,  a train  of  freight-cars  was  made 
up,  and  started  with  the  prisoners  for  Richmond.  In  the  car  in 
which  I rode,  were  at  least  fifty  prisoners.  The  train  had  a heavy 
guard  of  rebel  soldiers,  a good  share  of  them  riding  on  top  of  the 


574 


LEAP  IN  THE  DARKN 


cars,  but  there  was  at  least  one  guard  in  each  car.  I had  made 
up  my  mind,  come  what  would,  to  leap  from  the  car  when  moving 
at  night,  and  then  make  my  way  back  to  our  lines.  I proposed 
to  several  prisoners,  inviting  them  to  accompany  me,  but  all  de- 
clined, saying,  I would  fail,  and  my  condition  would  be  worse 
after  recapture. 

‘ ‘ I admitted  it  all ; but  as  my  wound  had  ceased  to  trouble  me 
much,  I determined  to  make  the  trial.  One  of  the  prisoners 
agreed  to  assist  me  all  he  could,  if  I was  determined  to  go.  It 
had  been  raining  considerably,  and  the  weather  being  warm  and 
sultry,  the  side-doors  of  the  car  were  both  left  open  while  running. 
As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  a station,  the  guard  closed  one  door,  and 
stood  in  the  other  until  the  train  started  again.  My  plan 
was  to  sit  in  the  door,  and  when  the  guard’s  attention  was  called 
away,  to  leap  from  the  car.  My  friend  had  agreed  to  take  my 
seat  the  moment  I left  the  car,  to  avoid  raising  the  suspicion  of 
the  guard. 

“We  had  passed  the  middle  of  the  second  night,  and  I was 
eagerly  watching  my  opportunity  after  passing  a station,  when, 
suddenly  the  train  came  upon  a long,  high  bridge,  and  I regretted 
my  neglect,  for  I knew  I would  have  to  recross  that  river  before 
regaining  our  lines.  Soon  after  crossing  the  river,  I discovered  we 
were  approaching  a large  town,  and,  watching  an  opportunity, 
while  the  guard  was  engaged  in  another  part  of  the  car,  I made 
the  leap  in  the  dark  for  liberty.  As  good  luck  would  have  it,  I 
was  successful,  not  even  receiving  a bruise,  landing  on  my  feet 
in  water  and  mud.  I crawled  up  the  bank,  and  by  the  light  of 
the  guard’s  lantern,  I plainly  saw  my  comrade  sitting  in  my  place 
in  the  door  of  the  car.  The  train  moved  on,  and  I knew  that  my 
escape  had  not  been  discovered. 

“ And  now  my  troubles  commenced.  In  the  woods,  and  in 
the  enemy’s  country,  which  I knew  nothing  about,  with  a deep 
and  swift  river,  and  an  unknown  distance  between  me  and  the 
Union  army,  my  condition  was  anything  but  enviable.  But  it 
was  too  late  to  recall  what  I had  done,  and  I determined  to  make 
the  best  of  it.  The  country  was  densely  wooded  and  uneven,  and 
I made  but  little  progress  in  the  few  remaining  hours  before  day- 
light. The  night  was  dark,  and  I took  a northerly  direction  as 
near  as  I could  determine ; but  when  daylight  came,  I found  I 
had  been  traveling  directly  east,  instead  of  north.  I was  farther 
from  home  than  when  I jumped  from  the  car.  I had  nothing  to 


CAMMIRE  RECAPTURED. 


575 


do  but  secrete  myself,  study  my  bearings,  and  prepare  for  another 
night’s  tramp.  I still  retained  my  blanket,  canteen,  and  haver- 
sack ; and  my  fellow-prisoners  had  generously  divided  their  scant 
rations  with  me,  wishing  me  success,  but  doubting  my  ability  to 
accomplish  my  purpose. 

“The  rest  and  sleep  through  the  day  greatly  refreshed  and  en- 
couraged me,  and  early  in  the  evening  I changed  my  course,  and 
started  in  a north-west  direction.  I soon  found  a tolerably  plain 
road,  leading  nearly  in  the  direction  I wanted  to  go,  and  I followed 
the  road  until  it  disappeared ; but  the  woods  were  more  open,  and 
I kept  my  course  until  daylight,  when  I came  to  a larger  road, 
bearing  more  to  the  west.  My  small  stock  of  crackers  was  ex- 
hausted, and  to  keep  in  the  road  in  day-time  would  probably  result 
in  my  recapture.  But  hunger  knows  no  law. 

“ I continued  for  several  miles  in  this  open  road,  hoping  to  meet  or 
see  some  negroes — for  I thought  they  would  befriend  me — and  get 
some  assistance  from  them,  in  order  to  continue  my  journey,  when 
suddenly  an  old  gray-headed  man  stepped  out  into  the  road  from 
behind  a clump  of  bushes,  and  presented  a double-barreled  shot- 
gun, and  ordered  me  to  halt.  I tried  to  reason  with  him,  but 
he  would  listen  to  nothing,  and  ordered  me  to  take  off  my  haver- 
sack and  canteen,  and  lay  them  down  in  the  road.  I saw  there 
was  no  use  at  all  to  try  to  reason  with  the  old  man,  and  I 
obeyed  orders.  He  brought  his  old  gun  to  a level,  cocked  both 
locks,  and  ordered  me  to  march  ten  steps  in  front  of  him  to  his 
house,  which  was  about  one  mile  from  where  he  met  me  in  the 
road. 

“To  be  taken  prisoner  by  Confederate  soldiers  was  bad  enough, 
but  to  be  taken  prisoner  by  such  a specimen  of  poor  white  trash 
as  that  old  man,  was  humiliating.  I was  ashamed  of  myself,  but 
there  was  no  help  for  it.  When  we  arrived  at  his  home — a tol- 
erably good  sized  house,  part  log  and  part  frame,  with  veranda  in 
front,  running  the  whole  length — he  shut  me  in  a small  room  at 
one  end  of  the  veranda,  and  called  up  a small  boy  ten  or  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  placed  him  at  the  door  with  orders  to  shoot  me 
if  I attempted  to  escape.  He  informed  me  that  he  should  take 
me  over  the  river  to  a railroad  station  where  there  were  soldiers, 
and  turn  me  over  to  them  either  that  evening  or  the  next  morn- 
ing. I told  him  I was  very  tired  and  hungry,  and  asked  him 
for  something  to  eat.  He  answered  me  short,  saying  they  had 
nothing  in  the  house,  and  that  he  did  n’t  believe  in  feeding  the 


576 


OFF  FOR  RICHMOND  AGAIN. 


d — d Yankees  no  how,  and  much  of  the  same  kind  of  talk.  The 
b(jy  seemed  to  be  kind  enough,  and  between  him  and  an  old  negro 
woman  that  was  about  the  premises,  I managed  in  the  course  of 
the  night  and  day  to  get  enough  to  appease  my  hunger. 

“Early  the  next  morning  we  started  for  the  railroad  station, 
where  I was  to  be  given  up  to  the  Confederate  soldiers,  a prisoner 
again.  The  order  of  march  was  the  same  as  before,  myself  in 
front  a few  steps,  and  the  old  man  and  boy  behind,  each  with 
shot-gun  all  ready  for  use.  In  this  way  we  marched  in  silence 
some  four  or  five  miles,  when  we  came  to  the  river,  and  the  old 
man  ordered  me  to  halt,  and  gave  the  boy  orders  to  shoot  me  if  I 
made  an  attempt  to  escape.  He  went  into  the  bushes  close  by 
the  river,  and  hauled  out  a small  boat,  and  made  me  take  the 
fore  part  of  the  boat,  while  he  and  the  boy  paddled  across,  one 
or  the  other  of  them  constantly  on  guard.  When  we  were  over 
we  resumed  the  march  the  same  as  before.  It  was  about  two 
miles  down  the  river  to  the  station  where  I was  formally  delivered 
to  the  guards.  When  the  exchange  was  made  I gave  the  old 
man  a little  good  advice,  which  he  did  not  soon  forget,  probably. 
I told  him  plainly  that  if  I ever  got  back  to  the  army  again,  and 
should  happen  to  come  that  way,  I would  settle  the  matter  between 
us.  I did  not  so  much  mind  being  a prisoner  with  soldiers,  for 
they  had  some  little  humanity  about  them,  but  that  old  man 
had  none. 

“My  talk  to  the  old  man  rather  pleased  the  lieutenant,  who 
conducted  me  to  the  guard-house.  He  said  there  would  be  a 
train-load  of  prisoners  along  that  day  some  time,  when  I would  be 
sent  on  to  Richmond.  When  the  train  arrived  I was  put  aboard. 
The  train  was  full,  and  was  guarded  the  same  way  as  before.  I 
had  had  all  the  experience  I wanted  in  jumping  from  trains,  and 
concluded  to  make  no  more  effort  to  escape,  at  least  before  I got 
to  Richmond.  It  was  the  same  old  gaze  by  the  residents  at  each 
station  at  the  * d — d Yankee  prisoners,^  as  they  called  them,  with 
an  occasional  jeer,  which  was  only  too  well  answered  by  some  ^cute 
Yankee. 

“On  our  arrival  at  the  city  we  were  marched  in  a body,  under 
a strong  guard,  to  a large  building  standing  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  confined  in  the  second  story.  The  prison  was  called 
Castle  Thunder.  The  reason  for  the  name  I never  could  tell.  It 
was  a queer-looking  old  building,  and  was  like  everything  else  in 
that  neighborhood — in  an  unfinished  condition.  There  were  sev- 


OUT  OF  PRISON. 


577 


eral  windows  in  the  room  looking  out  on  the  river.  It  was  im- 
possible to  tell  whether  the  water  was  deep  or  shallow  near  the 
house.  I can  not  say  that  our  treatment  as  prisoners  was  bad. 
The  rebels  gave  us  rations  of  corn-bread,  rather  coarse,  and  some 
meat.  We  got  no  coffee  or  tea,  unless  some  of  the  prisoners  had, 
by  good  luck,  saved  a little  money  and  purchased  them.  The 
prison  was  strongly  guarded,  and,  at  first  sight,  it  seemed  an  im- 
possibility to  make  an  escape.  I was  sick  and  tired,  and  spent 
most  of  the  time  in  sleep,  when  the  wound  in  my  head,  which 
was  at  times  painful,  would  permit. 

“At  least  two  weeks  were  passed  in  this  way,  when  I began  to 
be  restless,  and,  there  being  no  hope  of  an  exchange,  I determined 
to  make  my  escape  from  the  prison  if  possible.  There  were  many 
plans  of  escape  suggested  by  the  prisoners,  but  none  ot  them  appeared 
feasible  to  me.  After  taking  a careful  survey  of  the  prison  and  its  lo- 
cation, I could  see  no  other  way  of  escape  but  to  let  myself  down  into 
the  river  some  dark  night,  and  either  swim  the  river  or  come  out  on 
the  same  side  at  the  end  of  the  building,  and  run  the  gauntlet  of  a line 
of  picket-guards  one-half  or  three-fourths  of  a mile  in  extent. 

“I  told  my  plan  to  some  of  my  comrades,  but  they  all,  without 
exception,  said  it  was  impracticable,  and  that  if  I tried  it  I would 
surely  be  killed  or  captured.  I could  not  persuade  a single  one 
to  accompany  me.  I hesitated  for  several  days  before  I could 
fully  make  up  my  mind  to  make  the  attempt.  But  the  monoto- 
nous round  of  prison-life,  shut  up  in  a room  with  two  or  three 
hundred  prisoners,  was  to  me  worse  than  capture  or  death.  At  any 
rate  I came  to  the  determination  to  make  the  trial.  When  my  fellow- 
prisoners  were  informed  of  my  resolution,  they  agreed  to  assist  me  all 
they  could,  and  arranged  to  make  the  count  hold  out  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, so  as  to  avoid  pursuit,  as  it  was  the  custom  of  the  guards 
to  count  the  prisoners  every  two  or  three  days.  My  plan  was  to 
wait  for  a dark  night,  and  tie  blankets  enough  together  to  reach 
the  water,  and  let  myself  down  on  them. 

“ The  auspicious  night  at  length  arrived.  The  blankets  were 
tied  together  and  let  out  of  the  window,  my  own  blanket  twisted 
over  my  shoulder.  My  comrades  had  furnished  me  an  old  haver- 
sack, filled  with  such  rations  as  we  received,  enough  it  was  thought 
to  last  me,  with  care,  three  days,  and  with  my  canteen,  which  they 
had  also  furnished  me,  all  equipped  for  the  dangerous  journey.  I 
bade  my  friends  farewell,  crawled  out  of  the  window,  and  let 
myself  down  slowly  to  the  water.  Feeling  my  way  carefully  in 

37 


578 


SLIPPED  OFF  FROM  THE  GUARDS. 


the  water,  I found,  to  my  great  joy,  that  it  was  only  two  or  three 
feet  deep  close  to  the  building. 

“I  gave  the  signal  agreed  upon  to  pull  the  blankets  in,  and 
concluded  to  wade  carefully  to  the  end  of  the  building,  take  the 
shore,  and  try  to  dodge  the  sentinels.  I moved  slowly  in  the 
water,  keeping  close  to  the  building,  and  when  I reached  the  cor- 
ner, I took  a careful  survey  of  the  premises  before  stepping  out 
upon  the  shore.  I had  the  advantage  of  the  guards  on  duty.  I 
was  below,  and  in  looking  up,  I could  barely  discover  the  dusky 
form  ol  the  sentinel  as  he  slowly  paced  his  beat.  Watching  my  op- 
portunity as  the  guard  passed  the  corner  of  the  building,  I stepped 
lightly  on  shore,  and  walked  in  the  opposite  direction  as  far  as 
prudence  would  permit,  before  his  return. 

“ There  were  plenty  of  hiding-places  between  the  road  on  the 
bank  and  the  river,  formed  by  boxes  and  lumber,  of  which  fact  I 
was  well  aware  before  I started.  I concealed  myself  close  to  a pile 
of  lumber,  and  waited  the  return  of  the  guard.  So  soon  as  he 
commenced  his  retrograde  march,  I would  make  an  advance,  care- 
fully watching  for  any  movement  near  me,  and  hiding  again  when 
1 thought  I had  gone  as  far  as  I could  without  being  seen.  It 
was  a slow  and  tedious  journey,  but  in  this  way  I succeeded  in 
making  my  way  past  all  the  sentinels,  some  fifteen  or  twenty  of 
them,  for  nearly  one  mile. 

“ While  I was  on  this  perilous  journey,  the  guard  was  changed. 
I had  to  wait  until  everything  was  ouiet  before  proceeding,  and  I 
began  to  fear  that  I would  not  be  able  to  get  through  before  day- 
light. I walked  on  for  nearly  a mile  farther,  all  the  time  looking 
for  a safe  place  to  hide  for  the  day. 

“ I came  at  last  to  a lumber-yard — mostly  timber  and  railroad 
ties — and,  after  looking  about  for  some  little  time,  I found  a secure 
hiding-place,  and,  wrapping  my  blanket  about  me,  I lay  down  in 
a very  comfortable  position  to  take  a sleep  and  wait  for  day- 
light. My  first  hiding-place  must  have  been  nearly  or  quite  three 
miles  from  Castle  Thunder. 

“When  I awoke,  it  was  nearly  noon,  and  the  road  between 
me  and  the  river  was  filled  with  wagons  and  teams  of  every  de- 
scription, passing  and  repassing.  I was  within  fifty  yards  of  the 
road,  and  a large  body  of  troops  passed  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
going  up  the  river.  There  was  one  point  from  which  I had 
a fair  view  of  the  road  for  nearly  one-half  mile.  I was  not  very 
anxious  to  show  myself. 


CAMMIRE^S  ACCOUNT, 


579 


‘ ‘ It  must  have  been  near  midnight  before  I ventured  out  to 
resume  my  journey.  The  night  was  cloudy,  and  it  had  rained  in  the 
after  part  of  the  day,  but  I was  well  sheltered,  and  my  clothing 
was  nearly  dry  from  the  wetting  in  the  river.  Late  as  it  was  in 
the  night,  I occasionally  met  a team  in  the  road,  which  I always 
avoided,  stepping  to  one  side  until  it  had  passed.  1 was  following 
the  road  up  the  river,  which  ran  an  easterly  course,  and  to  avoid 
as  much  as  possible  coming  in  contact  with  portions  of  the  army 
which  I knew  to  be  north  of  the  city.  I knew  I must  go  nearly 
due  north  to  reach  Washington,  or  to  find  any  portion  of  the 
Union  army.  But  I concluded  to  go  West  until  I was  fairly  out 
of  reach  of  the  Confederate  army. 

“ Nothing  of  a startling  character  interrupted  me  in  my  travels 
the  second  night,  and  I probably  made  twelve  or  fourteen  miles 
north,  and  about  daylight  I concealed  myself  in  a thick  clump  of 
bushes  near  the  road,  and  waited  for  another  night. 

“Some  time  in  the  morning  the  clouds  broke  away,  and  the 
sun  came  out  bright  and  warm,  and  had  it  not  been  that  I was 
beginning  to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger,  and  that  the  wound  in  my 
head  had  become  somewhat  painful  and  needed  dressing,  I should 
have  been  comparatively  happy.  As  it  was,  I could  do  nothing  but 
lie  still,  and  dream  of  the  good  time  coming  when  I should  ouce 
more  be  free.  So  soon  as  it  was  dark,  I commenced  my  journey. 
It  was  a starlight  night ; everything  bid  fair  for  me  to  make  a 
good  march,  and  put  several  more  miles  between  me  and  the  rebel 
capital. 

“ Towards  midnight  I saw,  at  some  distance  ahead  of  me, 
several  horsemen  coming  down  the  road,  and  I stepped  aside  into 
the  bushes  to  let  them  pass.  I soon  discovered  that  they  were  the 
advance-guard  of  a large  body  of  rebel  cavalry,  and  instead  of  being 
detained  a few  minutes,  I was  detained  four  hours.  A whole 
brigade  of  cavalry,  with  three  or  four  pieces  of  cannon,  and  a 
large  number  of  wagons,  passed  by.  I waited  impatiently,  but  at 
last  the  road  was  again  clear,  and  I resumed  my  travels.  It  was 
nearly  daylight,  and  having  been  detained  so  long,  I was  a little 
imprudent,  and  continued  my  walk  until  it  was  quite  light. 
Just  before  T was  going  to  secrete  myself  for  the  day,  there  sud- 
denly appeared  three  or  four  horesemen  in  a turn  of  the  road 
about  one-fourth  of  a mile  ahead.  I barely  caught  a glimpse  of 
them,  and  immediately  took  to  the  woods,  and  was  lucky  in  finding 
a secure  place  near  the  road,  and  waited  for,  them  to  pass. 


580 


RECORDED  BY  DR.  POND. 


“They  rode  rapidly  down  the  road,  and  when  nearly  opposite 
me,  came  to  a halt.  I could  distinctly  hear  every  word  of  their 
conversation.  One  of  them  contended  that  he  saw  a man  dodge 
into  the  bushes  dressed  in  a Federal  uniform,  and  said  he  believed 
him  to  be  an  escaped  prisoner  from  Richmond.  The  others  said  that 
they  were  looking  down  the  road  and  saw  nothing ; and  they  tried 
to  make  him  believe  it.  It  was  impossible  for  them  to  ride  in  the 
woods,  and  in  a short  time  they  passed  on  down  the  road,  but  not 
until  I heard  the  man  say  he  knew  there  was  a Federal  soldier 
there  in  the  brush,  and  that  he  would  go  to  Esquire  Meacham’s 
and  get  his  bloodhounds,  and  put  them  on  the  track. 

“ This  last  expression  as  they  rode  away  filled  me  with  dismay. 
To  be  chased  by  bloodhounds  was  more  than  I bargained  for,  and 
to  risk  it  by  staying  where  I was  all  day,  was  more  than  I dared 
to  do.  One  of  two  things  I must  do,  risk  taking  the  road  in 
open  daylight,  or  travel  in  the  woods.  The  last  was  not  practi- 
cable. It  was  an  exceedingly  rough  country,  heavily  wooded,  and 
full  of  deep  cuts,  rocks,  and  underbrush;  and  besides,  if  he  did 
come  with  the  hounds,  they  would  surely  overtake  me,  with  noth- 
ing to  defend  myself  with  except  a heavy  stick — hickory — w'hich 
was  my  only  weapon. 

“In  sheer  desperation  I took  the  road,  and  traveled  in  double 
quick  time  at  least  two  miles,  seeing  no  one.  Then  I came  to  a 
long  hill,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  I came  to  a creek,  which  I 
crossed,  and  perhaps  passed  one  hundred  yards  beyond,  when  the 
thought  occurred  to  me  to  travel  down  the  creek.  I returned,  and 
took  down  the  stream,  traveling  in  the  water,  which  was  not  very 
deep.  I followed  on  down  about  two  miles,  where  a railroad 
crossed  the  stream,  and  perhaps  one-half  mile  farther,  where  I 
found  a nice  warm  hiding-place  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  lay 
by  for  the  day,  tired,  sick,  and  hungry,  waiting  for  the  hounds. 
My  excitement  was  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  sleep, 
and  I passed  a restless  day. 

“Several  trains  passed  on  the  railroad  during  the  day  ; and  the 
bloodhounds  were  within  hearing  distance  from  about  noon  until 
nearly  night ; but  they  never  crossed  the  railroad  to  the  best  of 
my  knowledge.  I made  another  discovery  during  the  day,  that  a 
wagon-road  ran  north  in  the  valley,  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
east  of  me,  which  I concluded  to  take  as  soon  as  it  was  dark. 

“ I had  now  been  without  food  of  any  description  for  forty- 
eight  hours,  for  my  three  days^  rations  were  not  enough  for  one 


FOUND  FRIENDS. 


581 


day,  and  it  was  only  a matter  of  time,  as  I knew  then,  and  only 
a short  time,  before  I would  be  compelled  to  get  something  to 
eat — if  I had  to  surrender — or  starve.  But  I was  determined  to 
travel  one  more  night,  and  take  my  chances  before  surrender, 
^eak  and  hungry  as  I was,  I started  early  in  the  evening,  being 
almost  discouraged,  and  often  saying  to  myself : “ You  had  better 
give  up.”  But  the  thought  of  being  again  a prisoner  seemed  to 
renew  my  courage,  and  I traveled  on,  frequently  resting  by 
the  way. 

“This  road  was  not  so  much  of  a thoroughfare  as  the  one  I had 
left,  and  I was  not  disturbed,  although  I passed  several  large  plan- 
tations during  the  night.  The  houses  were  generally  some  dis- 
tance from  the  road.  I could  not  have  traveled  more  than  five 
or  six  miles  before  I discovered  that  it  was  beginning  to  be  day- 
light. A short  distance  ahead  there  was  a very  large  plantation — 
the  largest  I had  seen.  I went  as  far  as  the  corner,  where  there 
was  a cross-road,  and  hid  myself  in  the  thick  bushes,  and  waited 
in  hopes  that  some  negro  would  come  along  and  I would  venture 
to  ask  for  something  to  eat.  There  was  a very  large  house  some 
distance  from  the  road,  and  at  least  a quarter  of  a mile  from 
where  I was  secreted,  and  to  the  left  of  the  house,  a little  village 
of  small  houses,  which  I knew  to  be  negro  quarters.  It  was  not 
long  before  there  was  a stir  among  the  negroes,  and  I waited  and 
watched  impatiently  for  some  of  them  to  come  past. 

“Suddenly  I heard  a step  down  the  road  from  the  other  direc- 
tion. I looked  carefully  through  the  bushes,  and  to  my  great  joy 
saw  an  old  negro  woman  coming  down  the  road  with  an  immense 
bundle  on  her  head.  When  she  arrived  opposite  me,  and  not 
more  than  fifteen  feet  away,  I stepped  boldly  out  of  the  bushes 
and  stood  before  her.  She  was  terribly  frightened,  and  came  very* 
near  giving  a shriek.  I immediately  said : ‘Aunty,  can  you  give 
me  something  to  eat?’  After  the  first  exclamation  of  surprise, 
her  next  words  were : ‘ O Lor’  gor  ormity ! Massa,  you  nearly 
scar’  me  to  def.  Ar’  you  one  of  Mr.  Linkum’s  sogers  ?’  I an- 
swered yes ; that  I had  run  away  from  prison,  and  was  trying  to 
get  back  to  the  Union  army.  ‘ Wal,  you  jest  git  right  back  in 
de  bushes  dar  ; ef  ole  Massa  or  any  of  dem  white  folks  sees  you, 
you’re  a treed  coon,  now,  sho’;  you  go.’  She  appeared  to  be  in 
so  much  fear  of  my  being  seen  that  I stepped  back  into  the 
bushes,  when  she  said : ‘You  keeps  hid  clos’,  and  I ’ll  send  Joe 
up  hyar  ’fore  long.  You  keeps  hid,  and  we’ll  feed  yer.’ 


582 


REACHED  THE  LINEfi,  NOVEMBER,  1S6S. 


“ She  passed  on  down  the  road  to  the  negro  quarters,  and  hope 
revived  within  me;  hut  it  seemed  to  me  an  age  before  Joe  made 
his  appearance.  At  last,  near  noon,  I saw  an  old,  white-headed 
negro  coming  up  the  road  with  a bundle  under  his  arm,  and  he 
was  singing  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  When  he  arrived  nearly  to 
the  place  where  I was  hid  he  stopped  singing  and  stepped  into  the 
bushes,  and  came  to  me.  He  appeared  to  be  in  a great  hurry, 
and,  laying  the  bundle  down  before  me,  he  said:  ‘Aunt  Dinah 
sent  me  up  hyar  ; can ’t  stay  no  time ; you  ’ll  fin’  some  corn-bread 
and  meat  in  dar,  and  some  ole  clo’s,  for  if  dey  should  see  yer  in 
dem  clo’s,  you’d  nebber  get  back  again,  sho’;  and  dar  is  sum 
charcoal  in  dar,  and  yer  must  black  yer  face  and  ban’s,  and  when 
dem  white  folks  down  dar  all  done  gone  in  de  house  to  dar  dinner, 
yer  take  down  de  road  dar  till  yer  comes  to  big  gate,  and  den  yer 
goes  by  de  ole  terbacker-house  down  dar,  and  go  in  de  secon’  cabin 
do’.  Aunt  Dinah  is  dar,  and  I ’ll  be  dar.’ 

“ While  this  speech  was  going  on  I was  untying  the  bundle, 
and  found  inside  a whole  corn-pone,  warm,  a piece  of  meat,  and  a 
large  baked  yam.  It  was  the  sweetest  and  best  meal  I ever  ate.” 

Finding  ‘‘Old  Joe/’  and  following  his  directions  and 
guidance,  eventually  placed  Cammire,  after  two  or  three 
more  nights’  travel,  safely  within  the  Union  lines. 
Then  he  went  to  Washington  City;  from  thence  he 
made  a long  journey  to  his  Illinois  home,  and  in  due 
time  rejoined  his  regiment  in  East  Tennessee,  in  the 
early  part  of  1864.  Doctor  Pond  was  greatly  sur- 
l)rised  on  seeing  Sergeant  Cammire,  as  it  was  his  un- 
derstanding that  he  was  reported  on  the  regimental 
records  as  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga. 


OUR  CAPTURE  AND  PROVIDENTIAL  ESCAPE. 

BY  BILEY  M.  HOSKINSON. 

The  following  narrative  was  written  for  the  special  use  of  my 
wife  and  family,  and  not  intended  as  a public  document;  the 
statements  therein  contained  are  strictly  correct,  to  the  best  of  the 
knowledge  and  belief  of  the  writer.  It  is  therefore  submitted  in 


M.  M.  HOSKimON ’S  STOR  Y,  583- 

its  original  form,  omitting  only  some  of  the  conversation  and 
minor  items.  It  is  as  follows : 

■ Monday,  September  IS,  1863. — Three  o’clock,  A.  M.,  roused  tO; 
draw  three  days’  rations;  obeyed.  Lay  down  and  slept  about 
an  hour  ; roused  again,  ordered  to  march  immediately ; so  we  packed 
up  and  away,  right  back  to  the  Lookout  Mountains,  which  we 
had  just  crossed.  Arrived  at  the  mountain  foot  about  nine  A.  M. ; 
sat  in  the  broiling  sun  till  nearly  sundown,  waiting  for  the  narrow 
road  to  be  cleared  so  we  can  get  up.  Our  brigade  slowly  climbing 
while  I write. 

September  ■ 14th. — Traveled  nearly  all  night  getting  up  the 
mountain.  Camped  a few  hours ; up  and  away  again.  Just  at 
sundown  reached  our  old  camp  at  the  mountain-side ; staid  here 
over  night.  Keceived  orders  to  be  ready  to  march  at  five  o’clock 
A.  M. , but  did  not  move  till  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  of 
the  15th.  Routed  all  of  a sudden,  and  ordered  off  on  the  in- 
stant. Some  of  the  men  had  gone  foraging,  others  were  asleep; 
I was  issuing  rations.  In  less  than  twenty  minutes  our  brigade 
was  in  line,  and  ready  for  march.  A moment  more,  and  away  we 
go  along  the  mountain  in  a north-easterly  direction.  Country 
rough  and  stony,  but  of  pretty  good  soil,  judging  by  the  corn  and 
other  products ; and  if  one  could  live  on  water  alone,  there  need 
be  no  fear  of  death,  as  the  water  here  is  very  abundant,  and  of 
the  best.  We  camped  for  the  night  in  a circular  valley.  I 
slept  on  three  rails.  Roused  in  the  morning  of  the  16th  at  four 
o’clock,  to  be  ready  for  march ; 3d  Brigade  gone  ahead  of  us  up 
the  mountain.  About  eight  o’clock  A.  M.  we  are  ordered  into 
line,  and  our  men  to  assist  in  getting  the  wagons  and  artillery  up 
the  steep  mountain-side,  which  is  the  steepest  of  any  we  have 
ever  climbed.  It  took  eight  hours  of  severe  work  to  get  our  divis- 
ion-teams to  the  top.  The  top  of  the  mountain  is  nearly  level, 
but  poor  and  rocky.  Found  a few  poor  families  there  that  had 
eked  out  a miserable  existence  for  sixteen  to  twenty  years.  Again 
away  we  go  across  the  mountain  to  its  eastern  side.  Here  it  is 
almost  perpendicular,  capped  with  rock;  but  the  view  is  sublime. 
Farm  after  farm  rose  into  view,  until  lost  in  the  dim  distance,  and 
shut  out  by  a small  mountain  called  “Pigeon.”  From  this  on- 
ward, we  are  told,  commences  the  great  cotton-growing  region  of 
the  South.  A little  beyond  this  mountain  the  rebels  are  in- 
trenched, awaiting  our  approach.  Down  we  go ; road  very  steep, 
but  quite  smooth.  Reached  the  bottom ; went  into  camp  for  the  night. 


584 


INTERESTING  MEMORANDA. 


Morning  of  the  17th. — For  the  first  time  in  many  months  we- 
are  left  to  march  in  the  rear.  Just  at  sunrise,  boom  ! goes  a' 
cannon,  and  our  men  raise  a shout  of  joy.  Orders  are  given  for 
our  men  to  take  forty  rounds  of  ammunition  in  their  cartridge- 
boxes,  and  twenty  more  in  their  pockets,  and  be  ready  for  action 
at  a moment’s  warning.  Just  at  noon,  ordered  to  march  on  the 
instant ; marched  about  half  a mile  to  an  open  field,  where  we  piled 
up  in  seemingly  inextricable  confusion  ; but  Generals  McCook  and 
Sheridan  soon  straightened  the  mass,  and  each  party  marched  in  good 
order,  some  here,  and  others  there.  Then  for  a time  all  was  still, 
and  we  momentarily  awaited  the  opening  roar  of  battle ; but  it 
came  not,  only  from  the  distant  front  came  the  sounds  of  cannon. 

Here  we  remained  till  about  one  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
18th.  Up  and  drew  two  days’  rations ; remained  quiet  till  nine 
A.  M.  Received  orders  to  march ; moved  off  in  a south-easterly 
direction.  Country  extremely  poor;  timber  small — scrubby  oak 
and  pine.  Three  o’clock  P.  M.,  went  into  camp;  staid  till  about 
seven  P.  M.  Ordered  to  march  again ; packed  up  our  little 
budgets,  and  sat  down  to  await  orders  to  move  on.  The  weather 
being  quite  frosty,  we  made  a lot  of  nice  fires  out  of  Secesh  rails. 
This  was  the  site  of  the  skirmishes  we  had  been  hearing  previously. 
About  eleven  P.  M.  we  were  ordered  to  move  on.  We  then  piled 
all  the  rails  we  had  left  on  the  fires,  and  had  a beautiful  illumi- 
nation. Marched  only  a few  rods  and  halted  again,  and  again 
burned  more  rails  to  make  us  light  and  keep  us  warm. 

Just  ahead  of  us  another  brigade  had  fired  a large  log-house, 
which  was  burning  furiously  as  we  passed.  Slowly  and  wearily 
on  we  go — start  a few  steps,  then  stop  again.  Quite  dark,  and 
the  road  strange,  I remarked : “ If  I could  only  see  the  Dipper,  I 
could  tell  our  course.”  One  of  the  men  observed : “ They  have 
thrown  away  the  dipper,  and  substituted  a gourd.”  Thus  we 
made  merry  the  best  we  could,  till,  about  three  A.  M.  of  the  19th, 
we  turned  into  camp,  some  fifteen  miles  south  of  Chattanooga,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Chickamauga,  Georgia.  I slept  in  some  brush 
till  roused  by  the  bugle-call  to  up  and  away.  Ate  a hasty  break- 
fast, and  in  a short  time  were  ordered  to  stay  in  camp  till  about  noon. 

While  we  wait  in  camp,  the  roar  of  artillery  is  constantly 
heard  some  little  distance  in  front  of  us,  and  we  expect  our 
turn  will  soon  come  to  join  the  deadly  fray.  About  ten  A.  M. 
we  slowly  move  forward.  About  three  P.  M.  we  come  to  the 
battle-ground  of  the  morning,  and  still  the  sound  is  far  in  front 


CHICKAMAVGA  AGAIN. 


685 


of  US.  We  halt  at  a huge  spring,  called  Crawfish,  thirteen  miles 
south  of  Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  Here  we  eat  our  dinner,  con- 
sisting of  crackers  and  raw-side  bacon  (“  sowbelly”  the  men  called 
it).  We  again  form  line,  and  march  about  a mile,  and  halt  in  a 
skirt  of  woods.  In  a few  minutes.  General  Sheridan  rode  up  and 
ordered  our  brigade  to  go  double  quick  to  Lee  & Gordon’s  mill, 
about  a mile  east,  to  hold  a ford.  I and  my  son  Stuart  were  or- 
dered back  to  the  field  hospital,  near  the  spring,  to  assist  the  sur- 
geons. By  the  time  we  got  there,  wounded  by  scores  were 
being  brought  in.  These  were  wounded  in  various  parts,  many  in 
the  legs  and  arms,  several  in  the  head.  Stuart  and  I helped  carry 
them  to  places  of  safety,  and  then  made  fires  to  keep  them  warm, 
the  houses  being  previously  filled  with  wounded.  While  all  this 
was  being  done,  others  made  coffee  and  distributed  among  the 
sufferers ; others  assisted  in  binding  up  wounds ; so  all  were  busy. 
The  conflict  lasted  till  about  nine  P.  M.  I shall  not  attempt  a 
description  of  this ; language  fails  to  do  it. 

Sabbath  morning,  September  20th. — Just  at  sunrise  the  work  of 
death  began  again.  Stuart  and  I,  knowing  our  regiment  to  be  out 
of  provisions,  started  in  search  of  them.  Found  them  about  three 
miles  distant,  on  a hillside,  covered  by  a small  orchard.  None  of 
them  had  yet  taken  part  in  the  conflict.  The  3d  Brigade  of  our 
division  was  in  yesterday’s  fight,  and  lost  heavily.  Some  rebel 
prisoners  told  us  this  morning  that  they  had  come  prepared  to 
meet  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand  men,  and  they  intended 
giving  us  the  severest  fight  of  any  time  heretofore. 

About  ten  A.  M.  the  cannonade  becomes  terrific,  mixed  with 
the  incessant  crash  of  musketry.  The  work  of  destruction  goes 
fearfully  on.  Some  of  our  men  are  asleep,  some  reading  papers, 
some  writing  letters,  etc. , while  a general  seriousness  seems  to  per- 
vade most  of  them.  Just  at  half-past  ten  A.  M.,  orders  came  for 
our  brigade  to  rush  to  the  contest.  Away  they  go,  on  the  double- 
quick,  down  the  hill  into  the  woods,  and  out  of  sight,  which  is  the 
last  I saw  of  them — or  ever  will  of  many  of  them — ‘ ‘ till  heaven’s 
last  thunder  shakes  the  world  below.” 

Stuart  and  I had  orders  to  stay  on  the  hillside  and  assist  the 
doctors,  when  any  wounded  were  brought  up  there.  In  a few 
moments  more  the  contest  deepened  (if  possible)  into  tenfold  more 
terrific  proportions.  There  we  stood  till  about  half-past  one  P.  M. 
The  cannon-shots  were  too  frequent  to  count,  and  the  musketry 
sounded  like  throwing  handfuls  of  salt  into  a hot  fire.  Add  to  all 


:586 


FATHER  AND  SON  PRISONER. 


.this  the  shouts  of  officers  and  the  screeching  of  the  men,  as  they 
charged  upon  each  other,  and  it  combined  to  make  a scene  per- 
fectly indescribable.  I forgot  to  be  afraid,  and  wished  the  whole 
Southern  Confederacy  annihilated  for  causing  so  much  carnage 
and  death.  Our  doctors  came  not,  and,  seeing  we  were  about 
being  surrounded,  we  moved  back  quite  a distance.  About  three 
P.  M.  the  sound  of  battle  somewhat  abated. 

At  this  time  an  officer  told  us  which  way  to  go,  and  we  did  as 
directed,  and,  following  some  ambulances  that  were  carrying 
wounded  men,  they  led  the  way  back  to  the  hospital  near  the 
spring.  We  had  only  time  to  unload  the  wounded  men,  when 
the  whole  premises,  six  hospitals  in  number,  were  surrounded  by 
two  brigades  of  Wheeler’s  cavalry,  and  a regiment  of  infantry, 
yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  as  if  hell  had  suddenly  emptied 
itself  of  all  its  contents.  In  a few  moments  (seeing  we  made  no 
.resistance),  a tall,  fine-looking  Texan  rode  up,  and  told  us  we  were 
all  prisoners  of  war.  This  event  took  place  about  half-past  four 
o’clock.  Sabbath  afternoon,  September  20,  1863. 

As  we  were  perfectly  powerless,  we  made  the  best  we  could  of  a 
bad  bargain.  The  rebs.  now  came  up  in  squads,  and  demanded  our 
blankets,  canteens,  knives,  guns,  etc.  I dropped  my  knife,  pocket- 
book,  and  gold  pen  into  my  boot-leg,  and  hid  my  gum-blanket  and 
canteen  while  they  were  robbing  others.  When  they  came  to 
me,  wanting  my  knife,  I offered  them  a case-knife  I had  picked 
up  on  the  way  back  to  the  hospital.  This  they  refused,  and  after- 
ward let  me  alone.  The  officers  did  not  maltreat  us  in  the  least, 
but  were  nice  and  polite,  asking  us  numerous  questions,  and  we 
as  many  in  return.  They  took  away  part  of  our  hospital  stores, 
all  our  ambulances,  doctors’  horses,  our  brass  band  instruments, 
and  all  the  guns  they  could  find.  Several  fine  rifles  had  been 
hidden  away,  and  after  the  others  had  been  taken,  I advised  the 
breaking  of  these,  which  was  done. 

On  Tuesday,  General  Wheeler  sent  his  medical  director,  who 
allowed  one  man  to  cook  for  each  twenty,  and  four  more  to  assist 
the  latter.  My  first  duty  was  the  taking  of  the  names  of  all  the 
wounded,  their  company,  regiment,  and  rank.  I found  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-six  living,  and  nineteen  others  so  badly  wounded  as 
to  die  soon  after  being  brought  in.  I then  assisted  in  the  care  and 
treatment  of  the  wounded.  We  had  not  time  to  bury  the  dead, 
but  stored  them  in  the  cellar  till  we  could  dig  one  vast  grave,  and 
tumble  them  in,  side  by  side,  seventeen  in  all. 


SOME  PROVOKIISIG  QUESTIONS. 


587 


September  23d. — Calm,  cold  morning.  Stuart  and  others  went 
to  the  battle-field,  and  found  some  five  hundred  of  our  dead  still 
unburied,  and  about  one  hundred  others  still  alive,  but  so  badly 
wounded  as  to  be  unable  to  help  themselves,  or  get  away.  They 
collected  these  together  in  little  groups,  and  gave  them  bread  and 
water — all  we  had  to  give.  Our  provisions  all  gave  out  about 
this  time,  and  all  of  us  had  to  live  on  boiled  wheat. 

On  Thursday,  September  24th,  a detail  of  men  was  sent  to 
the  battle-field,  to  dress  the  wounds  of  those  still  alive.  The 
groans  and  cries  of  the  wounded,  and  their  varied  wants,  are  in- 
describable. This  day  an  officer  by  the  name  of  Reiss  came  ta 
parole  as  many  as  were  thought  necessary  to  care  for  the  wounded  ; 
theirs  and  ours  both  being  cared  for.  I assisted  in  writing  paroles,^ 
and,  in  writing  one  for  myself,  spoiled  it,  and  the  oflicer  spoiled 
the  one  I wrote  for. my  son,  so  we  were  both  left  out.  It  was  now 
impressed  on  my  mind,  “It  is  the  will  of  God  that  you  should 
escape,  and  you  ought  to  do  it.”  In  the  afternoon  I was  sent  with 
a squad  of  men  to  Lee  & Gordon’s  mill,  to  put  it  in  order  to 
grind.  While  thus  engaged,  two  brigades  of  rebel  cavalry  came 
there  to  water  their  horses,  and  rest  awhile.  These  would  gather 
round  us,  and  ask  questions.  Most  of  them  behaved  nicely,  while 
others  were  very  insulting.  They  would  come  close  up  and  peer 
into  our  eyes,  and  ask:  “ What  do  you  think  of  us  now,  ha.^” 
“ Guess  we  whipped  you  good,  did  n’t  we,  ha  ?”  “ Guess  we  made 

you  run  this  time,  didn’t  we,  ha  ?”  “ You  came  to  subjugate  the 

South,  did  you,  ha?”  “You  came  to  free  our  niggers,  did  you, 
ha?”  “Guess  old  Rosy  couldn’t  make  Longstreet  run !”  “You 
folks  broke  up  this  mill,  and  now  you  want  to  grind  on  it.  Do  n’t 
you  think,  damn  you,  you  ought  to  starve  to  death?”  etc.  Finally 
got  the  mill  going,  ground  some  wheat,  and  returned  to  our  hos- 
pital prison. 

Friday,  September  25th. — Built  an  out-oven  of  bricks,  so  they 
could  bake  bread.  The  rebs.  came  with  two  wagons,  and  brought 
a little  meal,  some  bacon,  and  rice,  then  took  from  the  other  hos- 
pitals as  many  wounded  as  they  could  haul,  stating,  at  the  same 
time,  that  on  the  morrow  (Saturday)  they  would  take  away  all  the 
unparoled.  I now  went  to  the  pine-woods,  knelt  down,  and 
asked  God  to  direct  me  how  to  act.  My  duty  to  escape  seemed 
clear,  and  I resolved  to  try  it. 

Meanwhile,  Stuart  had  found  a few  pieces  of  crackers  in  an 
old  camp  some  distance  away ; these  he  brought  in  his  haversack* 


588 


ESCAPE  FROM  THE  ENEMY. 


I told  him  it  was  God’s  will  that  we  should  get  away,  and  1 was 
determined  to  try  it  that  night,  and  he  then  consented  to  go  with 
me.  I now  made  ready  for  our  departure  while  he  slept.  I now 
asked  our  chief  physician,  Dr.  McGee,  of  the  51st  Illinois  In- 
fantry, for  his  advice  in  the  matter.  He  said,  *‘Go,”  and  then 
gave  me  a message  to  his  colonel,  in  case  we  succeeded  in  our 
efforts. 

About  half-past  nine  P.  M.  I roused  Stuart,  and  told  him : 
“ Now  is  our  time  to  be  off."’  He  went  into  the  cellar,  and  got 
about  two  pounds  of  beefsteak,  as  the  men  had  killed  a small 
animal  that  day.  Now,  all  being  ready,  we  make  the  fearful 
plunge  for  our  escape.  We  had  three  separate  guards  to  pass, 
and  the  moon  shone  in  its  beauty.  We  did  not  fear  as  long  as 
we  were  near  any  of  the  hospital  tents,  but  our  hearts  beat  heavily 
as  we  passed  into  the  space  beyond.  The  crashing  of  the  leaves 
and  little  twigs  seemed  to  betray  our  object,  and  we  momentarily 
expected  to  hear  the  word  “halt!”  or  feel  ourselves  pierced  by 
bullets.  But,  thanks  be  to  God!  none  of  these  happened. 

After  some  six  miles’  travel  through  fields  and  woodland,  we 
came  to  the  foot  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  felt  safe.  Here  we 
rested  awhile,  and  then  began  the  steep  ascent,  reaching  the  top 
about  half-past  two  on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  nearly  exhausted 
from  fatigue.  Crawled  into  the  top  of  a fallen  hickory,  where  we 
staid  till  daylight.  We  now  tried  to  kindle  afire,  but  our  matches 
were  spoiled,  so  we  ate  a little  raw  beef,  some  bread  and  water. 
Looked  down,  and  saw  some  of  the  outer  guards  we  had  passed  in 
the  night.  We  now  climbed  a high  pinnacle  of  rocks  that  rose 
above  us  some  two  hundred  feet;  reached  the  top  of  this  in  safety. 

While  I was  penning  notes  of  our  night’s  march  two  rebs. 
came  up  the  same  path  we  had  come,  and  accosted  us  with, 
“Who  are  you  ?”  “ Where  did  you  come  from  ?”  and  “ How  came 
you  here?”  etc.  I lied  to  them,  and  said  : “We  belong  to  a lot 
of  General  Hooker’s  men,  w^ho  are  crossing  the  mountain  at  Dry 
Gap  yonder.”  They  then  said:  “We  have  guards  placed  all 
along  this  side  of  them ; how  did  you  get  past  these  guards  ?”  I 
told  them  we  had  not  seen  any  guards.  I then  questioned  them 
as  rapidly  as  I could  respecting  the  lay  of  the  land,  and  about 
the  late  battle,  etc.  They  told  us  a great  battle  had  been  fought, 
that  our  men  had  been  defeated,  and  had  fled  to  Chattanooga, 
which  was  just  sixteen  miles  distant,  at  the  end  of  this  mountain ; 
that  the  mountain  lay  right  up  against  the  city,  and  if  we  would 


SOME  CLOSE  CALLS, 


589 


go  down  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  on  the  opposite  side  from 
which  we  came  up  we  would  find  a good  and  perfectly  safe  road 
to  Chattanooga,  etc. 

I thanked  them  for  this  information,  wished  them  well,  and 
started ; but  as  soon  as  we  got  behind  some  rocks  I told  my  son 
our  only  safety  lay  on  the  top  of  this  mountain,  as  their  words 
were  only  a decoy  to  trap  us,  which  will  fully  appear  further  on. 
Our  path  was  at  times  fearfully  rough ; at  others  small  patches  of 
cleared  land,  with  small  huts  thereon  ; these  we  carefully  avoided. 
During  the  day  we  suffered  from  want  of  water,  so  we  descended 
the  mountain-side,  and  near  its  foot  found  plenty  of  water ; so  we 
concluded  to  slant  up  the  mountain  in  the  opposite  direction  from 
our  descent,  and  when  about  half-way  up  we  saw  some  forty  or  more 
meii  on  horseback  coming  up  the  opposite  direction  from  us.  We 
squatted  in  the  weeds  till  they  got  past,  and  then  made  all  the 
haste  w^e  could  to  get  across  this  road  before  any  more  men  should 
come  along.  The  hillside  being  of  loose,  slaty  formation  ren- 
dered it  very  laborious,  and  we  had  only  reached  about  fifty  feet 
above  the  road,  and  hid  in  the  opening  where  a tree  had  turned 
out  of  root,  when  another  detachment  of  men  came  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  first,  and  also  had  several  dogs  with  them.  I felt 
much  afraid  the  dogs  would  scent  us  and  come  up  to  us,  but  they, 
did  not. 

We  now  went  unmolested,  till  near  dark  we  came  to  a low  place 
where  was  a house  and  a little  cleared  land.  We  were  so  tired  and 
hungry  we  concluded  we  would  risk  going  to  the  house  and  get 
some  fire  and  make  coffee.  But  on  nearing  it  we  found  where 
numerous  horses  had  been  recently  tied  and  fed,  also  numerous 
places  where  men  had  lain.  We  quickly  skipped  out  of  this,  and 
had  only  gone  a few  rods  when  we  came  to  the  aforementioned 
“good,  safe  road,”  which,  had  we  followed,  our  captivity  was  as- 
sured. We  passed  rapidly  on,  and  soon  came  to  the  hollow  stump 
of  a huge  chestnut- tree,  one  side  of  which  was  split  off,  leaving  us 
room  enough  to  creep  in.  Here  we  made  our  bed  for  the  night ; 
slept  soundly,  and  did  not  awaken  till  the  sun  was  up,  and  the 
birds  singing  welcome  to  a beautiful  Sabbath  morning.  Here  I 
fully  realized  the  force  of  that  Scripture  which  says:  “The  heart 
of  man  devise th  his  way,  but  the  Lord  directeth  his  steps.”  I 
was  fully  satisfied  God  was  guiding  our  steps,  as  will  appear  more 
fully  further  on. 

The  aforesaid  road  now  followed  the  mountain-top,  and  we  had 


690 


ARRIVE  SAFELY  AT  CHATTANOOGA. 


considerable  trouble  keeping  out  of  sight  of  it,  as  every  little  while 
we  could  see  men  on  horseback  passing  along  it.  After  consider- 
able walk,  we  came  to  a thick  wood  of  small  pines,  and  sat  down 
to  rest.  In  a few  moments  we  heard  voices  and  loud  laughter. 
We  crept  away  from  the  sound  as  fast  as  we  could,  and  my  son 
stopped  and  said  in  a whisper,  “ See,  this  mountain  falls  off  all 
round,”  which  was  true.  I looked  a little  ahead  and  saw  horses 
with  saddles  on,  tied  only  a few  rods  in  front  of  us,  and  a little 
further  on,  two  men  standing  with  their  backs  to  us,  looking  off 
below.  This  afterwards  proved  to  be  Summertown,  and  the  men 
were  standing  on  Lookout  Point,  looking  down  into  the  city  of 
Chattanooga. 

We  quickly  turned  aside,  and  jumped,  fell,  and  slid  down  the 
mountain-side,  and 'were  soon  where  we  could  look  up  and  see  the 
men  far  above  us.  We  soon  came  to  a recently  deserted  rebel 
camp,  rested  awhile,  and  watched  the  railroad,  now  in  full  view, 
to  see  if  we  could  find  out  whose  hands  we  were  in.  Finally 
tired  of  this,  and  followed  along  the  mountain-side  till  we  came  in 
view  of  the  Tennessee  River ; sat  down  again,  and  soon  discov- 
ered a lot  of  our  men  on  the  opposite  side.  We  now  left  our  con- 
cealment, and  hailed  them,  but  they,  taking  us  for  rebels,  only 
made  sport  of  us,  asking,  “ Who  are  you?”  “What  do  you  want?” 
“ Don’t  you  want  some  whisky  or  some  coffee?”  etc.  I told  them 
who  we  were,  and  how  we  came  there,  but  they  did  not  believe  it. 
So  we  went  a little  further  down  the  stream,  where  it  looked  shal- 
low enough  to  wade.  Here  we  constructed  a small  raft  of  cedar - 
rails,  bound  together  with  small  grape-vines,  stripped  off  our 
clothing  and  laid  them  upon  the  raft,  which  we  thought  to  push 
before  us  as  we  waded  over.  We  no  sooner  pushed  into  the  stream 
than  we  were  beyond  our  depth ; we  clung  to  the  raft  and  kicked 
our  best,  and  soon  found  we  were  making  headway,  although 
rapidly  drifting  down  stream.  Finally  we  reached  shallow  water, 
where  we  could  wade  out.  By  this  time  a large  number  of  the 
40th  Regiment  of  Ohio  Infantry  came  to  meet  us,  and  helped  me 
put  on  my  clothing,  as  I was  so  chilled  I could  not  stand. 

General  Whitaker,  with  his  brigade,  was  here  on  picket-duty, 
and  the  colonel  of  the  40th  told  us  his  men  wanted  to  shoot  us, 
but  he  had  forbidden  it.  We  were  now  conducted  to  General 
Whitaker,  where  we  told  our  adventure.  He  gave  us  a good  sup- 
per, and  then  sent  us  over  the  river  to  Chattanooga,  to  the  pres- 
ence of  General  W.  S.  Rosecrans.  Here  we  each  told  our  story 


REMINISCENCE  OF  LINCOLN. 


691 


again,  which  was  committed  to  writing,  and  the  next  day  we  were 
sent  to  our  regiment,  or  rather  what  was  left  of  it;  thence  to 
Colonel  Laibold ; thence  to  General  P.  H.  Sheridan,  who  told  us 
our  trip  had  been  of  great  use,  as  it  told  many  things  not  previ- 
ously known.  We  then  hunted  the  51st  Regiment  Illinois  Volun- 
teers, and  delivered  our  message. 

I shall  only  add.  General  Rosecrans  started  a lot  of  ambulances 
to  Chickamauga  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  this  being  the  first  truce 
allowed  to  enter  upon  the  battle-field,  and  our  poor,  suffering, 
wounded  men  were  brought  away. 

The  above  constitutes  one  of  the  most  fearful  events  of  my 
life,  and  to  God  be  all  the  glory ! Most  respectfully, 

R.  M.  HOSKINSON, 

Late  Com.  Sergeant  73d  Illinois  Volunteers, 


William  M.  Thaler,  Company  A,  has  contributed  an 
interesting  reminiscence  of  the  year  1860 — one  in 
which  he  was  associated  with  Abraham  Lincoln.  It 
appears  that  Thaler  worked  for  Dr.  Wallace,  Lincoln’s 
brother-in-law,  quite  a good  deal,  in  the  years  1853-55, 
and  not  infrequently  worked  for  Lincoln  during  the 
same  time. 

In  1856,  Thaler  was  a Fillmore  man,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion rode  in  a delegation  of  Fillmore  men,  consisting 
of  thirty-four  couples.  Lincoln,  knowing  that  Thaler 
was  foreign-born,  and  having  seen  him  in  the  delega- 
tion referred  to,  wrote  him  a letter,  pointing  out  the 
inconsistency  of  his  training  in  that  kind  of  company. 
Thaler  failed  to  take  the  well-meant  advice  in  good 
part,  as  he  replied  to  Mr.  Lincoln  in  terms  a little  harsh, 
' feeling,  no  doubt,  that  a strong  point  had  been  made 
on  him. 

Two  years  later,  in  1858,  Thaler  could  not  indorse 
either  the  Lincoln  or  Douglas  party  in  the  senatorial 
contest  of  that  year.  On  election-day,  that  fall.  Thaler 
started  to  Springfield  (from  the  country,  where  he 


592 


A PROMISE  FULFILLED. 


then  lived)  with  two  wagon-loads  of  potatoes,  and  got 
stuck  in  the  mud  before  reaching  Williamsville ; had 
to  turn  around  and  return  home,  being  overtaken  on 
the  way  by  his  three  brothers-in-law,  the  Lantermans, 
going  home  from  the  election.  Thaler  was  told  by  the 
Lantermans  that,  had  he  done  as  he  ought  to  have  done, 
gone  and  voted  the  Lincoln  ticket  at  the  election, 
he  would  not  have  got  stuck  in  the  mud.  In  order  to 
make  things  go  easy  just  then,  having  had  trouble 
enough,  Thaler  promised  in  good  faith  to  vote  for  Mr. 
Lincoln  in  case  another  opportunity  to  do  so  ever 
offered. 

In  April,  1860,  Thaler  went  to  Nebraska  to  look  at 
the  country,  locate  a claim,  or  purchase  a tract  of  land, 
and  intending  to  remove  his  family  later.  When  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  nominated  for  President  at  Chicago,  Lan- 
termans wrote  Thaler,  reminding  him  of  his  promise 
to  vote  for  Lincoln,  and  calling  for  its  fulfillment.  Ac- 
cordingly Thaler  returned  to  Illinois,  and  next  morning 
after  reaching  Springfield,  went  over  to  Mr.  Lincoln’s 
house,  and  had  a long  talk  with  him.  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
been  to  Omaha  and  Council  Bluffs  the  preceding  year, 
and  had  many  inquiries  to  make. 

Thaler  told  Mr.  Lincoln  he  had  returned  to  Illinois 
on  purpose  to  vote  for  him,  and  the  correspondence  had 
in  1856  was  adverted  to,  and  any  trouble  or  misunder- 
standing still  existing,  arising  therefrom,  was  declared 
or  considered  as  settled. 

Suddenly  Mr.  Lincoln  spoke  up,  saying : Well, 
William,  you  have  come  a long  way  to  vote  for  me. 
Now,  would  you  come  as  far  and  shoulder  a musket  to 
defend  that  vote  ?”  Mr.  Lincoln  was  aware  of  Thaler’s 
intention  to  move  to  Nebraska  in  the  spring  of  1861. 


THE  RECRUITS. 


593 


The  reader  may  inquire  : Well,  what  has  the  fore- 
going to  do  with  the  history  of  the  73d  Illinois?”  We 
answer,  nothing  particularly,  farther  than  the  fact  that 
Thaler  was  a member  of  the  73d,  and  his  answer  to 
Mr.  Lincoln’s  question  was,  I will  do  so  if  it  becomes 
necessary.”  In  so  answering  Mr.  Lincoln’s  question, 
Mr.  Thaler  claims  he  was  the  first  man,  in  all  proba- 
bility, to  make  a tender  of  his  services  to  Mr.  Lincoln. 
Thaler  had  little,  if  any,  thought  that  civil  war  would 
follow  Lincoln’s  election ; but  Mr.  Lincoln  had  a settled, 
solemn  conviction,  that  war  between  the  sections  was 
inevitable. 

Thaler,  with  his  family,  left  Springfield,  March  11, 
1861,  for  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Thaler,  being  in  bad  health 
at  the  time,  died  the  following  November.  When  the  call 
for  six  hundred  thousand  men  was  made  in  1862, 
Thaler  returned  to  Springfield  with  his  children,  and, 
making  provision  for  them,  went  to  Camp  Butler,  August 
19th,  of  that  year,  enlisted,  and  was  sworn  into  service. 

The  recruits  of  the  73d,  as  we  have  seen,  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  44th  Illinois,  a veteran  organization,  at  the 
date  of  our  muster-out.  W.  H.  Wilson,  of  Company  H, 
Perry,  Illinois,  who  was  one  of  the  number  transferred, 
has  kindly  furnished  the  sketch  below,  giving  briefly 
the  experience  of  these  recruits  after  joining  the  44th : 

“ Having  wished  our  comrades  of  the  73d  Illinois  a fond  good- 
bye, and  sending  messages  by  them  to  loved  ones  at  home,  we  re- 
ported to  Colonel  Russell,  of  the  44th  Illinois,  as  ordered.  We 
were  at  once  assigned  to  our  respective  companies — recruits  from 
Company  H,  of  the  73d,  going  to  Company  H,  of  the  44th,  and 
so  on  through  the  list.  We  were  immediately  ordered  to  Nash- 
ville, and  at  the  depot  we  found  a train  of  cars  ready  to  carry  us, 
we  knew  not  whither;  but  from  a remark  made  by  Doctor  Pond, 
we  supposed  we  were  going  to  New  Orleans. 

38 


594 


NEW  ORLEANS—  TEXAS. 


‘‘Soon  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  announced  that  all 
was  ready,  and  away  we  went.  Next  day  we  arrived  at  a small 
town  on  the  Tennessee  River,  and  found  there  six  or  seven  steam- 
ers in  waiting  for  us,  and  soon  all  of  them  were  loaded,  and  started 
down  the  river.  Nothing  of  special  interest  transpired  until  next 
day,  when  one  of  the  shafts  of  a water-wheel  broke,  and  fell  back 
into  the  paddles  of  the  wheel,  crushing  them  and  the  rudder  to 
pieces,  causing  our  boat  to  swing  around  and  around  like  a lost 
duck.  The  unusual  noise  caused  quite  a panic  among  the  boys, 
who  thought  the  old  boat  had  been  snagged,  and  many  decided  to 
jump  off  and  swim  to  the  shore.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  cool- 
headed  determination  of  Colonel  Russell,  some  of  the  boys  might 
have  found  a watery  grave.  After  order  was  restored  our  boat 
was  lashed  to  one  of  the  others  and  towed  along,  and  by  the  time 
we  reached  Paducah,  Kentucky,  the  necessary  repairs  were  com- 
pleted, and  our  boat  was  again  able  to  go  alone. 

“ We  reached  New  Orleans  about  June  24,  1865,  and  went 
into  camp  about  seven  miles  below  the  city.  We  relished  the  ripe 
figs  that  hung  in  clusters  on  the  trees.  After  remaining  at  this 
camp  a few  weeks,  we  were  surprised  one  evening  by  the  receipt 
of  orders  to  pack  our  traps  immediately,  ready  for  another  boat- 
ride  the  following  morning.  When  morning  came  we  were  ready, 
and  some  of  the  boys  predicted  we  were  going  home.  As  soon 
as  the  boats  were  loaded,  we  steamed  down  the  Mississippi  River, 
and  soon  learned  that  we  had  to  cross  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  As 
we  went  down  the  river  we  amused  ourselves  by  shooting  at  the 
alligators  that  lay  along  the  banks ; but,  as  far  as  we  know,  only 
one  was  killed. 

“ When  we  reached  the  Gulf  it  was  very  rough,  and  as  the 
men  of  the  44th  were  not  used  to  that  kind  of  riding,  it  soon  be- 
came necessary  for  all  to  come  down  to  a level,  and  all,  we  think, 
except  the  writer,  even  including  Colonel  Russell,  had  a spell  of 
seasickness.  Allowing  the  men  of  the  regiment  had  the  courage 
to  fight,  had  an  emergency  arisen  at  that  particular  time,  it  would 
have  found  them  nearly  all  disabled  for  lighting,  as  they  were  as  limp 
as  a dish-rag,  and  quite  as  incapable  of  exertion.  In  a few  days 
the  sickness  was  a thing  of  the  past,  and  all  agreed  they  felt  much 
better.  We  arrived  at  Port  Lavaca,  but  were  not  allowed  to  dis- 
embark, but  we  transferred  to  smaller  boats,  and  sailed  up  the 
bay  to  Matagorda,  and  landed. 

“After  leaving  the  boats  we  were  allowed  to  rest  and  refresh  our- 


MUSTERED  OUT— SENT  HOME. 


595 


selves;  but  O,  how  thirsty  we  were!  Some  of  us  had  not  tasted 
water  for  several  days.  While  we  were  hunting  water  a citizen 
drove  in  with  a load  of  watermelons  to  sell  to  the  “Yankee  sol- 
diers,” as  he  said.  As  the  citizen  asked  only  one  dollar  each  for 
his  melons,  we  thought  the  price  a little  high  for  us,  but  con- 
cluded Uncle  Sam  was  rich  enough,  and  every  man  who  could 
laid  hold  and  confiscated  a melon  for  his  own  use.  We  got  our 
full  share,  and  thought  melons  never  tasted  better.  Of  course  the 
citizen  complained  to  the  oflicer  in  command  of  the  post,  who 
came  out  and  threatened  to  arrest  every  one  of  us.  But  Colonel 
Russell  interposing,  said : ‘ If  you  think  you  can  arrest  my  brigade 
with  only  a negro  regiment,  why  just  pitch  in,  and  you  will  soon 
find  your  hands  full.’ 

“ Next  morning  we  marched  into  the  country,  and,  after  going 
nearly  twenty  miles,  halted  at  night  at  Camp  Irwin.  Here  we 
learned  that  we  had  been  sent  to  relieve  regiments  whose  terms  of 
service  had  expired.  We  greatly  enjoyed  the  fresh  beef  issued 
to  us,  also  the  ripe  grapes  that  hung  thickly  on  almost  every  tree. 
Nothing  of  interest  transpired  at  Camp  Irwin  during  our  stay. 
There  was  a gloom  passed  over  us  while  there,  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  two  men  of  the  regiment — one  by  disease,  the  other  by 
drowning.  How  lonesome  we  felt ! — nothing  to  do  but  eat,  sleep, 
and  wait.  Merriment  was  almost  unknown  among  us,  except  as  it 
was  produced  by  an  old  comrade  named  Eli  Ele,  of  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  who  kept  us  amused  by  his  fun-making  and  determina- 
tion to  ‘ skunk  ’ us  playing  eucher,  a part  of  the  time. 

“About  September  1,  1865,  it  was  rumored  that  we  were  to  be 
mustered  out  soon,  and  sent  home.  Shortly  afterward  our  officers 
were  found  busy  making  out  papers,  and  by  the  25th  of  September 
we  were  mustered  out,  and  started  on  our  homeward  journey.  We 
traveled  night  and  day  until  we  reached  Camp  Butler,  and  a few 
days  later  we  delivered  all  the  property  we  had  belonging  to  the 
Government  to  the  proper  officer.  We  were  then  taken  to  Spring- 
field,  paid  off  on  October  15th,  and  furnished  transportation  to 
our  respective  homes.” 

Memoranda  made  by  Captain  E.  J.  Ingersoll,  De- 
cember 22,  1863,  to  January  1,  1864,  both  inclusive: 

“The  4th  A.rmy  Corps  marched  to  the  relief  of  Knoxville, 
Tennessee,  leaving  Bragg  with  his  broken  and  discouraged  army 


596 


INQERSOLL  'S  MEMORANDA. 


floundering  in  the  wilderness  and  the  mountains  of  Northern 
Georgia. 

“ On  the  departure  of  the  73d,  I had  been  placed  in  command 
of  about  one  hundred  convalescent  wounded  men,  and  with  Cap- 
tain Motherspaw,  Lieutenant  Sherrick,  and  one  or  two  other 
officers,  had  charge  of  our  camp  at  Chattanooga. 

December  22d. — Received  orders  to  prepare  to  march,  with 
five  days’  rations. 

December  2^th. — Moved  out  of  camp  under  command  of 
Colonel  Laibold,  to  escort  our  division-train  to  Knoxville.  The 
command  consisted  of  detachments  of  all  regiments  in  our  brigade, 
and  a number  of  men  formerly  of  General  Streight’s  command 
(just  returned  from  prison,  having  been  exchanged),  amounting, 
all  told,  to  about  three  thousand  five  hundred  men.  We  crossed 
Mission  Ridge  near  the  tunnel,  also  Chickamauga  Creek ; but 
did  not  get  out  of  hearing  of  the  pickets  at  the  bridge  before 
we  were  informed  of  the  near  approach  of  Wheeler’s  cavalry. 
Camped  for  the  night,  thinking  of  Christmas  at  home. 

“ December  25th. — Brigade  detachment  was  rear  guard  to-day. 
Cloudy,  and  some  rain.  The  train  heavily  loaded  with  camp 
equipage,  dragged  its  way  slowly  through  the  deep  mud.  Rain — 
cold  and  piercing  rain.  Passed  White  Oak  Mountain,  and  camped 
three  miles  from  head-quarters. 

December  26th. — Marched  about  daylight ; reached  Cleveland. 
It  was  rumored  that  the  rebel  cavalry  were  approaching.  Strag- 
gling forbidden. 

“ December  27th. — Six  o’clock  A.  M.,  ordered  to  march;  the 
train  moved  out.  We  formed  in  line,  and  stood  ‘to  arms;’ 
moved  out  after  the  wagon-train  ; made  a short  march,  then  went 
into  camp.  It  rained,  rainedy  and  rained.  Nothing  to  note, 
other  than  swollen  streams  and  very  muddy  roads,  until  we  reached 
the  little  town  of  Charleston,  on  a tributary  of  the  Tennessee 
River.  Passed  through  a gap  in  a range  of  high  hills,  one  mile 
south  of  Charleston,  about  dark. 

“ Received  order  for  two  officers  and  twenty-four  men  to  return 
to  the  gap  and  guard  it,  without  fires,  as  the  enemy  was  known  to 
be  near.  The  detail  was  made ; all  the  officers  were  either  sick  or 
sufiering  from  wounds.  I took  command  of  detail;  we  marched 
back  on  quick  time.  Notwithstanding  orders  to  the  contrary, 
being  a little  out  of  humor — good  humor — I told  the  boys  to  build 
all  the  fires  they  ‘ d — d please.’  Nearly  chilled  to  tears,  we  began 


CA  UOHT  UP  WITH  DIVISION. 


597 


our  hard  night^s  duty ; sent  pickets  out  on  road,  and  got  through 
the  night  until  near  morning.  My  orders  required  that  we  return 
to  camp  early  in  the  morning,  which  we  did,  leaving  our  picket- 
fires  burning,  and  taking  breakfast  at  daylight  in  camp. 

“Had  just  finished  our  hard-tack  and  coffee,  when  Colonel 
Laibold  ordered  that  we  cross  the  river,  and  dig  down  embank- 
ment for  wagons  to  pass  over.  Began  work  seriously,  in  earnest. 

“ Received  orders  to  deploy  my  command,  and  go  up  the  river 
to  a ford  about  three-quarters  of  a mile  distant,  where,  it  was  re- 
ported, Wheeler’s  cavalry  were  trying  to  cross.  I deployed  the 
detachment,  and  went  about  a half  mile ; was  overtaken  by  another 
order — an  order  to  retreat  to  the  south  side  of  river  at  once. 
Closed  column,  and  marched  back  on  the  double  quick. 

“Had  just  crossed  the  river  to  south  side,  when,  looking  south- 
ward, saw  the  Confederate  cavalry  charge  through  the  railroad  cut, 
and  then  dash  around  in  the  rear  of  our  picket-fires  in  the  gap;  ‘ but 
WE  were  not  there.*  We  were  ordered  to  ‘double  quick’  to  the  ex- 
treme right  of  the  brigade  line.  Wheeler  appeared  with  his 
brigade  of  cavalry  in  force,  in  front.  The  73d  detachment  had 
hardly  reached  the  position  assigned  it,  before  the  bugle  blew  the 
charge.  We  whipped  the  brigade  of  rebels  in  about  thirty  minutes, 
killing  quite  a number,  and  capturing  128  of  them.  Many  were 
wounded.  Among  the  captured  was  Wheeler’s  adjutant-general. 
The  Confederate  artillery  stuck  in  the  mud  beyond  the  gap,  and 
had  we  had  a squadron  of  good  cavalry,  we  might  have  taken" the 
entire  command.  The  train  got  across  the  river  in  safety.  We 
camped  about  two  miles  north  of  Charleston. 

“ December  29th. — Took  up  our  line  of  march  through  mud  and 
rain.  We  reached  Loudon,  December  31st,  at  about  three  o’clock 
P.  M.,  and  stopped  at  a camp  prepared  by  Confederate  troops  for 
winter-quarters.  Here  we  had  our  first  experience  with  sick  flour. 

“ January  1,  186 Jf.. — Weather  very  cold ; snow  in  the  mountains. 
We  were  engaged  in  preparing  to  cross  the  Tenneseee  River  on  a 
raft,  one  company  and  wagon  at  a time — a very  tedious  operation. 
After  a weary  march  of  several  days,  we  reached  the  division 
north-east  of  Knoxville  without  the  loss  of  a man  or  a wagon.  We 
are  firmly  convinced  that  the  building  of  numerous  fires  by  our 
pickets  the  night  before  the  attack  at  Charleston  (Wheeler  being 
thus  led  to  suppose  our  entire  brigade  was  on  guard),  saved  our 
command  from  suffering  more  or  less  loss  of  men  and  wagons.” 
Mdes,  too. 


598 


BULLARD^ S ACCOUNT. 


The  following  additional  memoranda,  touching  the 
march  of  the  convalescents  of  the  4th  Army  Corps  from 
Chattanooga  to  Knoxville,  has  been  furnished  by  one  of 
the  number,  William  H.  Bullard,  of  Company  A : 

December  24^  1863. — Under  orders  of  the  23d,  we  left  Chat- 
tanooga, marching  out  past  Orchard  Knob  to  the  upper  part  of 
the  valley,  and  crossed  Mission  Eidge  near  the  tunnel  on  the  East 
Tennessee  and  Virginia  Eailroad,  about  noon.  We  passed  around 
a bend  of  the  Chickamauga,  and  crossed  that  stream  on  a bridge, 
guarded  by  the  75th  Indiana.  The  88th  Illinois  went  on  picket. 
There  are  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  and  a number  of 
officers,  including  Captain  Motherspaw,  with  us. 

**  December  25th. — Christmas  Day.  Our  brigade  was  rear  guard. 
The  day  was  bleak,  cloudy,  and  rainy,  and  we  could  only  guess 
we  were  going  in  a north-eastern  direction.  We  passed  White 
Oak  Mountain,  through  McKenzie’s  Gap,  from  which  place  we 
caught  our  last  sight  of  Lookout  Mountain.  We  passed  several 
houses  that  hung  out  the  old  flag.  The  roads  were  awful.  We 
were  taking  a very  long  wagon-train  with  us,  and  it  moved 
slowly.  The  rear  guard  camped  three  or  four  miles  from  the 
main  body. 

“ December  26ih, — Camped  with  the  troops  about  daylight,  and 
in  the  rain.  Marched  to  Cleveland,  and  camped  one  mile  from 
town,  south-west. 

“ December  27th. — Ordered  to  march  at  half-past  six  o’clock, 
but  did  not.  I think  from  the  maneuvers.  Colonel  Laibold,  who 
is  in  command,  is  expecting  an  attack.  We  stood  in  line  of  battle 
from  before  daylight  until  the  train  passed  through  the  town. 
There  are,  I think,  about  four  thousand  men  in  the  force — two 
nearly  full  regiments — that  have  been  assigned  to  our  corps,  so 
we  can  make  quite  a little  fight,  or  could,  if  we  had  some  artillery. 
Camped  at  Charleston,  on  the  Hiawassee  Eiver ; rained  nearly  all 
day,  and  is  still  at  it.  We  went  out  on  picket  on  the  Cleveland 
road. 

December  28th. — Left  picket-line  at  daylight.  We  had  only 
reached  the  brigade  when  we  were  sent  over  the  river,  and  set  to 
work  digging  down  the  railroad  embankment  on  the  north  side, 
as  the  railroad  track  bed  had  become  impassable  for  the  wagon- 
train,  which  is  crossing  the  river  on  a trestle-bridge,  built  where 


QUITE  A SKIRMISH. 


599 


the  railroad  bridge  had  stood.  The  44th  Illinois  was  helping 
us,  and  Colonel  Laiboldt  was  there  personally  superintending 
the  work,  with  several  of  his  staff ; the  remainderhof  the  troops 
lay  in  line  of  battle  around  the  town,  holding  a line  a mile  long 
or  more. 

“While  we  were  all  busily  at  work  there  was  some  firing  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river.  Laibold  was  so  busy  attending  to  the 
work  in  hand  that  he  did  not  notice  it  until  one  of  the  staff  called 
his  attention  to  it,  and  the  firing  increased  in  the  meantime.  We 
stopped  work  for  a minute,  and  Laibold  started  off  briskly,  call- 
ing back  as  he  went:  Boys,  save  the  hard-tack T 

“We  finished  the  work  so  that  trains  commenced  crossing 
again.  Then  Captain  Motherspaw,  in  the  absence  of  other  orders, 
moved  up  the  river  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  force  crossing 
and  coming  down  that  side.  We  had  been  there  but  a few  min- 
utes, when  an  orderly  came  to  us,  and  we  moved  down  the  river 
to  the  bridge,  and  crossed,  and  took  position  on  a bluff  above  the 
crossing,  where  we  remained  until  the  train  was  all  across. 

“ The  firing  for  an  hour  had  been  quite  hot,  but  the  enemy,  as 
well  as  ourselves,  had  no  artillery.  His  force  consisted  of  cavalry 
only,  armed  with  carbines  and  other  short  guns. 

“ When  the  last  wagon  had  crossed  the  bridge,  we  shifted 
from  the  left  to  the  right  center,  and  took  position  on  the  Cleve- 
land road.  As  we  had  nearly  reached  our  position  the  bugles  in 
the  center  sounded  the  “ advance,”  and  the  two  regiments  before 
mentioned  started  with  a shout,  and  by  a general  advance  we 
soon  had  Wheeler  and  his  men  hurrying  for  their  horses,  and  hur- 
rying up  the  valley  as  well.  Our  loss  was  3 killed,  and  8 wounded. 
Of  the  enemy  14  were  killed,  and  120  captured.  After  the  fight- 
ing was  all  over,  we  marched  four  or  five  miles,  and  went  into 
camp.  A squadron  of  cavalry,  posted  at  the  river,  helped  us  very 
materially  in  the  skirmish,  dashing  after  the  enemy  after  we  had 
broken  his  line. 

December  29th. — To-day  we  marched  to  Athens,  and  camped; 
marched  most  of  the  way  on  the  railroad. 

December  SOth. — Marched  to-day  to  Sweetwater,  a nice  little 
town  on  the  railroad.  Passed  a little  town  called  Relgan.  We 
noted  the  beauties  of  this  part  of  East  Tennessee.  People  seem 
glad  to  see  us,  and  sell  us  all  kinds  of  eatables,  the  only  trouble 
with  us  being  the  lack  of  funds. 

December  31st. — First  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Stone 


600 


THAT  ^^COLD’’  JANUARY. 


River.  Marched  all  day  in  the  rain ; passed  the  little  town  of 
Philadelphia,  and  reached  London,  on  the  Tennessee  River,  about 
sundown.  The  wind  then  changed  to  the  north-west,  and  the 
weather  turned  colder  at  once ; the  ground  was  frozen  hard  before 
nine  o’clock.  Our  little  remnant  of  Company  A arranged  a 
bivouac,  and  got  up  a huge  pile  of  rails.  While  our  feet  nearly 
roasted,  our  backs  would  nearly  freeze.  I think  that  at  our  one 
fire  we  burned  at  least  two  hundred  rails  during  the  night. 

**  January  i,  1864. — Very  cold.  Treated  myself  to  some  warm 
biscuit  for  a New  Year’s  gift.  They  only  cost  fifty  cents  a dozen, 
and  are  not  much  larger  than  walnuts.  We  have  to  cross  all  our 
train  on  one  small  flat-boat  that  will  take  a wagon  and  one  span 
of  mules  at  one  trip,  and  the  remaining  four  mules  the  next  trip. 
It  will  take  several  days  to  cross  at  that  rate. 

'^January  4fh,. — Went  foraging  to-day,  and  got  a little  meal; 
but  it  was  taken  to  Laibold’s  head-quarters  and  issued  out. 

January  7th. — We  were  taken  across  the  river  in  a little  ferry- 
boat. While  waiting  to  cross  we  saw  two  mules  drown.  In  driv- 
ing onto  the  boat,  the  cable  broke  as  the  wagon  struck  the  boat; 
the  weight  of  the  wagon  kept  pushing  the  boat  into  the  river 
until  the  wagon  sank  in  the  water  and  pulled  the  mules  backward 
off*  the  boat.  The  weather  has  not  warmed  up  much ; ropes, 
oars,  and  boat  covered  with  ice  yet,  though  no  ice  has  formed  in 
the  river. 

January  10th. — Have  lain  quietly  since  crossing  river,  and 
lived  principally  on  parched  corn,  which  is  better  than  nothing. 
Ordered  to  march  in  the  morning.  The  train  and  troops  all  over 
the  river  at  last. 

January  Marched  to-day.  The  weather  moderated  so 

that  it  began  raining  in  the  evening.  We  passed  Lenoir’s  Station, 
where  there  are  signs  of  the  burning  of  quite  an  ordnance  train. 
Camped  near  Campbellsville,  where  there  has  been  considerable 
fighting. 

January  12th. — Camped  near  Knoxville.  Signs  of  war 
abundant.  Still  living  on  parched  corn. 

January  ISth. — Passed  through  Knoxville;  drew  one-third 
rations  of  bread  and  some  meat,  and  camped  eight  miles  from  the 
brigade,  at  Strawberry  Plains. 

**  January  14th. — Reached  the  brigade  and  camp,  the  73d  be- 
ing at  Haworth’s  Mill,  several  miles  away.  Report  is  current 
that  the  whole  command  will  start  for  Chattanooga  in  the  morn- 


FOLLOWING  THE  COMMAND. 


601 


ing,  and  for  that  reason  we  are  not  allowed  to  ^o  on  to  the  regi- 
ment to-day. 

January  15th. — Ordered  to  report  to  the  regiment  at  Ha- 
worth’s Mill,  which  we  did,  reaching  there  in  the  afternoon,  being 
ferried  across  the  Little  Tennessee  River  in  canoes  or  dug-outs. 

I reached  Company  A with  thirteen  men,  including  myself,  whom 
I turned  over  to  Captain  Cross,  being  the  same  number  of  men  he 
had  with  him. 

We  have  lately  received  a letter  from  Comrade  E.  S. 
Turner,  from  which  we  make  extracts,  as  follows  : 

“Trumbull,  Nebraska,  January  22,  1890. 

“Dear  Comrade, — Yours  of  the  20th  inst.  at  hand.  In  re- 
ply to  your  inquiry,  would  say,  that  my  answer  to  the  ‘Johnny’s’ 
question,  ‘What’s  gold  worth  in  New  York  City?’  was,  ‘ Green- 
baeks — something  you  haven’t  got  down  South.’  I answered 
hastily,  as  I did  not  want  the  ‘ Johnnies  ’ to  get  ahead  of  us.  I 
worked  all  night  to  get  the  boys  to  agree  to  this  truce,  and  after 
it  went  in  force,  Corzine  and  ‘ Sigel’  (Benjamin  Schaffner),  in- 
sisted on  breaking  it  by  renewing  their  fire. 

“ Our  Company  ‘ I ’ boys  told  me  they  could  not  get  Corzine 
aud  ‘ Sigel  ’ to  cease  firing.  I told  them  I would  stop  their  firing, 
which  I did  by  going  to  ‘ Sigel  ’ and  saying : ‘ Sigel,  the  boys 
want  some  fun  with  the  “ Johnnies’^  and  want  you  to  stop  firing.’ 

‘ All  right,’  ‘ Sigel  ’ answered.  Then  I went  to  Corzine  and  said  : 

‘ The  boys  want  you  to  quit  firing,  so  we  can  have  some  fun  with 
the  “Johnnies.”’  Corzine  answered:  ‘I  won’t,  though;  my  ' 
orders  are  to  keep  firing^  and  I am  going  to  do  it.’ 

“ Reasoning  with  Corzine  for  some  time,  and  failing  to  secure 
his  agreement  to  the  ‘truce,’  I finally  said  to  him:  ‘You  have 
the  best  place  in  the  whole  line  of  the  regiment,  and  if  you  won’t 
agree  with  us  for  a “ truce,”  I will  put  you  outside  of  the  works, 
and  you  can  then  fire  to  your  heart’s  content,  and  I only  give  you  two 
minutes  to  agree.’  He  agreed.  Many  questions  were  asked  both 
ways,  among  them  the  one  above — ‘ What ’s  gold  worth  in  New 
York  City?’ 

“ After  the  rear  guard,  in  which  were  a number  of  the  73d, 
left  Louisville,  and  before  it  reached  Bardstown,  a few  of  the  boys 
came  in  one  day  shortly  after  noon,  and  told  of  a rebel,  at  whose 
place  they  stopped  to  get  water — a very  scarce  article  at  the 


602 


BEEF  AND  POULTRY. 


time — cursing  and  damning  them,  and  hoping  they  ‘ would  all  get 
killed  down  South,’  etc.  After  inquiring  of  several  of  the  boys, 
I came  to  the  conclusion  this  rebel  was  a very  bitter  one,  and  that, 
as  the  boys  had  done  nothing  but  get  water,  we  would  draw  a 
beef — this  rebel  having  several — any  one  of  which  would  fill  the  bill. 

“As  our  rations  of  meat  were  very  slim,  I went  to  Captain 
Wallace,  commanding,  and  said  to  him:  ‘Cap.,  we  are  almost  out 
of  meat,  and  if  you  will  go  into  camp  soon,  we  can  get  a beef  of 
an  old  rebel  near  here,  who  is  somewhat  rampant*  ‘ All  right,’ 
said  Wallace,  ‘ we  will  go  into  camp  at  the  first  good  place  we 
come  to.  I have  ration  money  to  buy  what  we  want.’  ‘ No, 
no,’  I said ; ‘ I propose  to  draw  a beef,  and  give  an  order  on  the 
commissary  and  save  the  ration  money.’  ‘ I do  n’t  know  so  well 
about  that ; it  may  get  us  into  trouble,’  said  the  captain.  ‘ No,’ 
I said ; ‘ we  can  give  the  order,  and  put  into  it  what  the  old  rebel 
has  said ; then  the  order  will  never  be  presented.  This  plan 
will  afford  us  a change  of  diet,  and  effect  a saving  to  the  Govern- 
ment.’ The  captain  agreed  finally. 

“ As  soon  as  we  went  into  camp,  I detailed  Jason  Lyon  and 
four  or  five  other  comrades  to  go  and  get  the  beef.  I instructed 
them  to  tell  the  man  to  come  in  the  morning,  and  we  would  settle 
with  him,  but  to  be  sure  and  not  say  we  would  pay  money,  as  we 
did  not  intend  to  do  that.  I also  suggested  to  each  of  the  other 
companies — all  were  represented  in  the  squad  following  the  army 
up  from  Louisville — to  detail  a man  or  two  each,  to  go  along  and 
clear  the  whole  farm  of  poultry — ‘ Preacher  Kegiment  ’ — but  take 
nothing  else. 

“ The  beef  was  distributed  that  evening  ; the  boys  feasted, 
and,  after  a refreshing  sleep,  enjoyed  a breakfast  of  beef  and 
chicken.  When  .the  old  ‘Johnny’  Reb.  appeared  in  camp,  he 
said  he  had  come  to  get  his  pay  for  the  beef,  as  the  boys  who  got 
it  said  if  he  would  come  to  camp  in  the  morning,  he  would  get 
his  pay. 

“ ‘ Those  boys  were  instructed  to  tell  you  to  come  in  this  morn- 
ing and  we  would  settle  with  you,’  remonstrated  Turner ; then 
adding:  ‘ We  can’t  pay  you  any  money.  We  will  give  you  an 
order  on  the  commissary  department.’ 

“That  will  do,’  said  the  rebel.  ‘I  suppose  the  department  is 
good.’ 

“ Captain  Wallace — ‘It  is  all  I can  do;  those  are  my  orders.’ 

“ ‘ What  do  you  want  for  your  beef?’  asked  Turner. 


ORDER  NOT  SATISFACTORY. 


603 


“ Answer — * Well,  I think  it  was  worth  twenty  dollars.’ 

**  ‘All  right,  the  captain  will  draw  an  order  for  you  for  twenty 
dollars,’  said  Turner. 

“ ‘Hold,’  said  the  reb.,  ‘the  boys  cleaned  me  out  of  poultry 
too,  last  night,  and  I would  like  to  have  that  included  in  the 
order.’ 

“Captain  W. — ‘I  want  you  to  understand  my  men  are  not 
chicken-thieves.  I can’t  give  you  an  order  for  pay  for  chickens, 
but  if  you  will  pick  out  the  men  who  got  your  chickens,  I will 
have  them  pay  you;  the  men  all  have  money.’ 

“The  Confederate  made  a search,  wandered  all  round  through 
camp  for  a full  half  hour ; then  returned,  saying  he  could  not 
pick  out  a man — though  nearly  every  man  was  eating  chicken, 
and  the  ground  was  carpeted  with  feathers.  Our  captain  handed 
him  the  order  as  filled  out. 

“ After  reading  it  over,  the  ‘ Johnny  ’ said : ‘ This  is  not  good 
for  anything.  I can’t  get  any  money  on  it.’ 

“ ‘What’s  the  matter  with  it?’  asks  Wallace. 

“ ‘ It  mentions  in  it  what  I said  to  the  boys  last  night,’  an- 
swered the  man. 

“ Wallace — ‘Then  you  did  say  that  to  the  boys,  did  you?’ 

“‘Yes.’ 

‘ ‘ ‘ Did  the  boys  disturb  you  any  before  you  talked  that  way 
to  them?’  asked  Wallace. 

“‘No.’ 

“ Wallace,  continuing — ‘Well,  you  will  learn  to  keep  your 
mouth  shut  hereafter,  when  troops  are  passing  through  the 
country.’ 

“ (^Not  for  publication. y* 

RAIL-MAKING. 

As  our  brigade  came  into  Nashville,  in  the  spring 
of  1865,  some  person  said  our  1st  Division  was  making 
rails  to  replace  those  it  had  burned.  Our  boys — 
among  them  ^^Jate” — declared  they  would  burn  rails 
if  necessary  or  convenient,  but  would  not  make  any. 
We  camped  on  land  belonging  to  a widow,  lying  north 
of  Hardin’s  land,  a stone  wall  between  the  two  tracts. 
As  the  land  south  of  us  was  divided  up  into  small 


604 


RAII^MAKINGt 


fields,  there  were  many  high  rail  stake-and-ridered 
fences.  We  had  orders  not  to  burn  rails,  but  to  pick 
up  pieces  of  wood  and  down  timber,  and  were  told  that 
wood  in  due  time  could  be  issued.  So  the  fences  were 
accordingly  drawn  upon  for  good  first-class  rails,  out  of 
which  to  make  bunks  and  benches.  As  day  after  day 
passed  and  no  wood  issued,  we  kept  on  drawing  and 
burning  bunk  timber  until  the  fences  near  camp  had  dis- 
appeared. 

Late  one  evening  the  usual  quiet  of  the  camp  was’ 
disturbed  by  word  being  passed  along  the  line  that  a 
detail  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  brigade  was 
called  for  to  make  rails.  ‘‘Did  you  hear  that?”  a com- 
rade said  to  “Jate,”  “Hear  what?”  asked  “Jate.” 
“A  detail  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  called  for  to 
make  rails,”  was  the  reply.  The  comrade  added : “ I 
would  not  be  surprised  if  you  were  the  first  man  de- 
tailed.” “ Jate  ” remembered  his  declaration,  and  then 
repeated  it — that  he  would  make  no  rails.  Sure  enough. 
Sergeant  Jason  Lyon  was  detailed  as  one  of  the  rail- 
makers.  The  boys  said  they  had  no  axes.  New  axes 
were  promptly  furnished  them,  and  they  started  off, 
and  soon  went  to  work  in  a body  of  fine  heavy  timber. 

All  forenoon  the  noise  and  clatter  of  axes  could  be 
heard.  At  noon  the  boys  came  in  to  dinner,  and  were 
plied  with  the  question,  “Have  you  made  any  rails?” 
quite  frequently.  “ No,”  was  the  answer,  “ But  we  have 
downed  a lot  of  fine  timber.”  The  work  was  resumed 
after  dinner,  but  not  with  vim  and  energy.  Excuses 
were  made;  one  man  said  there  was  a flaw  in  his  ax, 
it  could  n't  be  relied  on.  Another  man  said  his  ax 
was  dull,  very  dull,  had  never  been  sharpened ; it  would 
only  cut  bark,  to  do  any  good;  consequently  he  cut 


*^SOLDIER,  WILL  YOU  WORXr 


605 


the  bark  and  peeled  it  off  one  tree  from  the  ground  up 
all  around  as  high  as  he  could  reach;  that  done,  he 
would  go  to  another  tree  and  serve  it  in  like  manner — 
get  the  bark  out  of  the  way  so  some  other  man  might 
chop  if  he  felt  like  it.  Several  of  the  detailed,  from 
some  one  cause  or  another,  did  little  more  than  ‘‘girdle'' 
(get  the  bark  off)  the  trees.  None  felt  like  chopping; 
had  n’t  enlisted  for  that  kind  of  work. 

A portion  of  the  detail  was  ordered  to  log  off,” 
but  no  particular  length  prescribed.  Logs  of  various 
lengths  were  cut  off,  varying  from  three  to  nearly 
twenty  feet  in  length.  Another  portion  of  the  detail 
was  ordered  to  split  the  cuts  ” into  rails — make 
rails.”  Excuses  were  again  resorted  to.  One  man  said 
he  could  not  split  the  logs  with  an  ax;  a maul  and 
an  iron  wedge  would  be  needed — several  of  them, 
really.  The  men  were  told  to  go  and  try,  and  do  the 
best  they  could.  One  man  got  his  ax  fast,  and  in  un- 
^ dertaking  to  loosen  it  he  put  more  force  into  the 
grunt”  than  he  applied  to  the  ax.  Another  man 
came  to  his  assistance,  but  not  feeling  first  rate  ” he 
could  n’t  plant  his  ax  just  where  it  ought  to  have 
been ; he  struck  it  right  on  the  top  of  the  other  ax,  doing 
neither  any  good.  This  was  the  way  it  went.  Several 
axes  were  demoralized.”  Very  few  rails  were  made, 
if  any.  The  aggrieved  party,  the  proprietor  of  the 
estate  of  the  woods  around  about  our  camp,  concluded 
to  have  the  detail  called  off ;”  but  we  kept  on  burning 
“ bunk  timber.” 

While  the  73d  lay  in  camp  at  Louisville,  the  rations 
issued  were  poor  in  quality,  as  well  as  meager  in  quan- 
tity. Some  of  the  boys  eked  out  a living  by  drawing 
extra  supplies  from  the  adjoining  country  ; others  bought 


606 


IRREGULAR  FORAGING. 


provision  at  the  markets.  After  the  bulk  of  the  regi- 
ment had  started  on  the  Perryville  trip,  a number  of 
the  boys  were  left  behind  sick — including,  of  course,  a 
few  from  Company  I. 

The  camp  was  near  the  water-works,  and  about  the 
time  many  of  the  men  began  to  mend,  word  was  given 
out  that  Company  H had  fresh  pork  to  sell.  Turner, 
of  Company  I,  gave  money  to  two  of  his  comrades,  and 
told  them  to  go  and  buy  pork.  They  soon  returned, 
saying  the  price  was  too  high,  and  they  would  not  pay  the 
price  without  Turner’s  consent.  Turner  said  : We  can 
kill  a hog  as  cheaply  as  they.”  The  boys  replied : 

But  it  is  contrary  to  orders,  and  the  provost-guards 
are  too  near.”  Let  me  know,”  continued  Turner, 
when  a hog  comes  near,  and  I will  shoot  it,  if  you 
will  take  care  of  it.”  This  proposal  was  agreed  to.  Next 
day  Turner  was  duly  notified  that  a hog  was  approaching 
the  vicinity  of  Company  A’s  line.  Turner  immedi- 
ately armed  himself,  and  took  position  in  a Company  A 
tent,  and  at  the  crack  ” of  the  gun,  the  hog  dropped 
flatly.  The  boys  went  ” for  the  hog,  but  none  of 
them  had  a knife  to  stick  it  with  ; so  Turner  returned 
to  his  tent,  picked  up  one,  and,  after  sharpening  it,  went 
back  to  the  porker.  Just  as  he  reached  down  to  turn 
the  hog  over  to  stick  it,  it  jumped  up  and  ran  off. 
Lacy  ran  alongside  of  the  hog,  shooting  at  its  head, 
till  he  emptied  his  revolver,  the  hog  squealing  for  dear 
life,”  the  men  in  camp  and  other  spectators  generally 
cheering  and  hallooing.  Turner  was  considerably  ex- 
ercised, and  warned  the  men  not  to  make  noise,  to  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  provost  guard^. 

Shortly,  under  Turner’s  direction,  the  hog  was  caught 
at  the  end  of  Company  I’s  street — the  proper  place — 


RIGHT  OF  PROPERTY, 


607 


and  stuck.  Just  as  the  boys  were  beginning  to  skin  the 
hog,  a woman  living  near  by,  came  and  claimed  the  hog 
as  her  property.  Whereupon  Turner  said  : If  it  is 
your  hog,  you  probably  had  it  marked.  How  was  your 
hog  marked?”  queried  Turner.  Instead  of  answering 
directly  and  promptly,  the  woman  walked  all  around 
i the  hog,  looked  it  carefully  over,  and  then  said : My 
hog  had  a short  tail,  like  that  one.” 

Then  there  were  two  hogs  with  short  tails,  this  one, 
and  the  woman’s  hog.  The  hog  in  controversy  was  pure 
white  in  color,  not  a mark  or  a blemish  on  it,  except  its 
two-inch  stub  tail.  Turner  said  to  the  woman:  ‘^You 
can’t  have  this  hog  without  an  order  from  the  captain  in 
that  tent  (Wallace’s)  ; he  commands  this  camp  now.” 
The  boys  did  not  want  to  dress  the  hog,  but  Turner 
got  them  to  proceed  by  saying  : It  is  not  her  hog ; if 
it  was,  the  most  she  could  do  would  be  to  make  us  pay 
for  it.”  Turner  cut  the  tail — what  was  left  of  it — off 
close  up  to  the  body. 

In  a few  minutes  Captain  Wallace  came  running  up, 
saying  : Hold  on,  boys.”  What ’s  the  matter.  Cap- 
tain ?”  asked  Turner.  This  woman  claims  you  have 
killed  her  hog,”  answered  Wallace.  Well,”  said 
Turner,  I suppose  she  will  have  to  prove  property, 
won’t  she.  Captain  ?”  Yes,  that  is  right,”  said  the 
captain ; and  then  asked  the  woman,  How  do  you 
know  this  to  be  your  hog  ?”  Because  mine  had  a 
short  tail ; it  had  been  cut  off  just  like  that.”  Was 
it  a fresh  cut?”  asked  Wallace.  The  woman  did  not 
answer,  and  Turner  said  to  Wallace : “ Captain,  this  is 
an  American  woman,  and  if  you  want  her  to  understand, 
ask  her  in  English,  something  after  this  fashion : ^ Was 
this  hog’s  tail  lately  cut  off,  or  has  it  been  done  some 


608 


MORE  FORAGING. 


time  ?’  ’’  To  which  amended  inquiry  the  woman  an- 
swered : “ 0 no  ; its  tail  has  been  cut  off  some  time.” 
Turner  then  uncovered  the ' hog,  and  Captain  Wallace 
said  : Well,  this,  then,  is  not  your  hog,  as  the  tail  has 
just  been  cut  off.” 

The  woman’s  jaw  and  arms  dropped,  and  a more 
crest-fallen  individual  was  not  seen  at  any  time  about 
the  camp  of  the  73d  during  the  war.  If  the  woman 
had  acted  as  though  the  hog  was  really  her  property, 
had  not  hunted  all  over  it  for  marks  that  never  existed, 
the  boys  would  either  have  let  her  have  the  hog,  or 
paid  her  for  it.  What  became  of  the  meat.  Turner  does 
not  say ; he  only  got  a small  part  of  it  himself.  He 
would  like  to  hear  from  all  who  ate  thereof. 

A SUCCESSFUL  FORAGE  TRIP 

BY  TWO  COMPANY  I BOYS. 

While  chasing  Hood,  after  the  battle  of  Nashville,  we  camped 
one  day  in  the  timber  of  Northern  Alabama.  We  were  short  of 
rations,  and  there  was  a detail  of  two  men  from  each  company  to 
go  out  from  camp  and  find  something  to  eat.  It  fell  to  my  lot 
and  Wm.  M.  Corzine,  of  my  company  (I,  73d  Illinois)  to  go. 
About  nine  o’clock  A.  M.  we  rigged  up  our  mule  (Old  ‘ ‘ Honest 
John”),  that  we  had  to  carry  our  cooking  outfit  on,  and  started 
westward  from  camp.  I had  a Spencer  rifle  and  plenty  of  ammu- 
nition, but  my  comrade  took  no  arms. 

The  first  humble  cabin  we  came  to  was  besieged  by  dozens  of 
“ Yanks,”  inside,  outside,  and  underneath.  Those  under  the  house 
were  trying  to  capture  the  last  remaining  goose.  There  being  no 
show  for  us,  we  went  on  to  the  next,  and  found  matters  just  as 
bad.  On  we  went,  determined  to  go  until  we  should  strike  it 
rich.  We  passed  some  half  dozen  log -huts,  but  nothing  was  found. 

At  last  we  spied  a house  about  a mile  off*,  which  we  were  con- 
fident no  one  had  visited.  So  we  renewed  our  tramp  to  reach  it, 
through  by-ways  and  thickets  which  we  knew  to  be  infested  by 
bushwhackers.  We  reached  the  house  in  safety;  but  by  this  time 
it  was  late,  and  we  were  some  seven  miles  from  camp.  But  we 


BUTTERMILK  AND  SORGHUM. s 


609 


were  happy  in  finding  plenty  there  to  supply  our  wants.  There 
was  a woman  and  two  children  in  the  house.  She  said  her  hus- 
band was  in  the  rebel  army,  and  that  she  had  not  anything  for 
“ you  ’uns  Yanks but  our  orders  were  imperative,  and  we  soon 
found  enough  to  load  up  our  mule. 

I shot  a porker  and  a couple  of  geese,  and  strapped  them  on; 
then  we  helped  ourselves  to  a hill  of  sweet  potatoes  we  found  in 
the  garden.  In  the  smoke-house  we  found  bacon  and  a churn  full 
of  fresh  cream.  The  latter  we  put  into  ourselves  and  our  can- 
teens. The  best  “find”  was  a half-barrel  of  sorghum  molasses. 
Some  of  this  we  wanted,  and  must  have,  but  we  had  nothing  to 
carry  it  in.  Corzine  found  a large  soap-gourd,  which  he  went  to 
filling,  while  I searched  the  house  for  anything  that  would  hold 
sorghum.  While  thus  engaged  I made  another  important  dis- 
covery. Under  the  bed  was  a two-gallon  tin  bucket,  also  several 
sacks  of  meal.  I did  not  disturb  the  meal  just  then,  but  I did 
the  bucket.  I pulled  it  out  and  found  it  half  full  of  buttermilk. 
I told  the  woman  I wanted  the  bucket  to  take  home  a sample  of 
her  sorghum  in.  I would  gladly  have  saved  the  milk,  but  could 
not;  I was  already  full  of  cream.  She  said  we’uns  shouldn’t 
have  that  bucket,  and  as  I started  she  made  a dive  and  seized  it. 
Then  came  the  tug  of  war.  She  pulled  and  I pulled,  and  how  the 
buttermilk  flew  all  over  me  and  her  and  the  floor.  But  I was  the 
stronger,  and  soon  won  the  victory,  and  got  my  bucket  full  of 
molasses. 

By  this  time  we  thought  we  had  more  forage  than  “ Honest  John  ” 
could  carry  alone,  and,  seeing  a fine  young  horse  in  the  barn-yard, 
we  concluded  we  needed  him  to  help.  But  what  should  we  do  for 
a bridle?  We  asked  the  lady  of  the  house  where  we  could  find 
one,  and  she  said:  “ You’uns  haint  a goin’  ter  take  my  last  boss. 
He  hain’t  never  been  rid,  and  you  all  can ’t  take  him.”  We  went 
to  the  barn  and  hunted  it  all  over  in  hopes  of  finding  a bridle  or 
halter.  In  the  loft  was  a lot  of  corn-leaves  in  bundles.  We 
kicked  over  some  of  these,  but  found  no  bridle,  and  were  com- 
pelled to  abandon  the  idea  of  adding  to  our  forage-train.  We 
then  loaded  up  our  mule,  but  while  thus  engaged  I set  my 
bucket  of  molasses  on  a stump  near  the  house,  and  when  I was 
ready  to  get  it,  it  was  gone.  The  woman  had  “stolen”  it,  and 
taken  it  into  the  house.  This  treasonable  act  “riled”  me,  and 
I stormed  the  fort  in  search  of  the  lost  property,  which  then  be- 
longed to  Uncle  Sam.  She  had  hidden  it  behind  the  bureau, 

39 


610 


DIFFICULTIES  ENCOUNTERED, 


and  the  cover  was  gone.  I did  not  have  time  to  hunt  for  the 
cover,  so  I took  a clean  towel  and  tied  over  the  top.  Then  we 
started  for  camp  by  a different  route  from  that  we  came. 

Such  a load  as  we  had ! We  knew  that  if  we  could  only 
land  it  safely  in  camp  we  would  have  a royal  reception,  and  all 
of  us  could  get  filled  up  for  once.  We  started  down  a lane  just 
as  the  sun  was  going  down,  and  with  a seven-mile  tramp  before 
us.  We  had  gone  only  about  forty  rods  when  whang!  zip! 
came  a bullet  past  our  heads.  It  did  no  damage,  but  came  al- 
together too  close  to  make  us  feel  comfortable.  We  stopped, 
and  looking  back  could  see  the  smoke  curling  up  from  the  cracks 
in  the  loft  of  that  log-barn.  We  made  up  our  minds  at  once 
that  that  woman’s  husband  was  not  in  the  rebel  army,  but  was 
hid  in  that  barn-loft  under  those  leaves.  He  had  not  dared  to 
attack  us  while  at  the  house,  because  his  own  life  would  have 
paid  the  penalty,  there  being  two  of  us  with  a seven-shooter  at 
command.  He  had  waited  until  he  thought  he  was  safe,  then  fired. 

Our  first  impulse  was  to  go  back  and  clean  him  out,  but  it 
was  so  late  we  concluded  to  hurry  on.  But  our  direction  was 
wrong,  so  we  left  the  road,  and  started  across  fields  and  through 
woods  toward  camp.  We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  came  to 
a stake-and-ridered  rail  fence,  beyond  which  was  heavy  timber. 
We  tore  down  the  fence,  and  my  comrade,  with  many  regrets,  aban- 
doned his  gourd  of  sorghum.  On  into  the  now  almost  impene- 
trable darkness  we  went.  At  times  our  heavily-laden  mule  would 
^ get  wedged  between  two  trees,  and  we  would  back  him  out  and 
try  again. 

We  finally  came  to  a well-beaten  path,  which  we  could  hardly 
see  for  the  darkness,  and  concluded  to  follow  it,  thinking  it 
would  lead  us  out  somewhere,  and  sure  enough  it  did.  We  had 
followed  it  a long  ways  through  dense  timber,  when  all  at  once, 
down  in  a dark  and  dismal  gulley,  we  came  to  the  end  of  it. 
A band  of  guerrillas  had  just  left.  There  was  their  abandoned 
camp  and  fires  still  burning,  and  their  shelters  made  of  bark  yet 
standing.  We  did  not  stay  there  long.  We  thought  it  best  to 
get  out  of  that  hole  as  quick  as  possible,  or  we  might  lose  our 
load  of  grub.  We  struck  out  again  through  the  dense  forest, 
and  soon  landed  in  a blackberry-patch.  Neither  of  us  was 
addicted  to  profanity,  or  we  might  have  done  some  tall  ‘ ‘ cuss- 
ing,” but  we  patiently  worked  our  way  through  the  brambles 
and  over  fallen  trees. 


A ROYAL  FEAST. 


611 


We  got  out  at  last  into  a clearing,  and  breathed  easier.  After 
crossing  this  opening  we  came  to  timber  again,  but  just  then  we 
saw  a flickering  light  off  to  our  right.  We  halted  our  supply- 
train,  and  while  Corzine  guarded  it  1 cautiously  advanced  to  the 
light,  which  I found  to  be  a pine-knot  in  a cabin.  I shouted, 
and  a woman  came  to  the  door.  I told  her  we  were  lost,  and 
asked  her  if  she  knew  where  the  Yankee  army  was  camped. 
She  said  she  had  heard  music  off  “in  that  direction,”  pointing 
east,  and  guessed  it  was  where  the  camp  was.  She  told  me 
there  was  a road  leading  that  way  not  far  off,  which  we  soon 
found,  to  our  great  relief. 

We  now  made  good  time,  although  pretty  well  used  up,  tired, 
hungry,  and  sore  ; but  our  spirits  revived,  and  after  a mile  or 
two  more  we  came  in  sight  of  our  camp-fires.  We  were  halted 
by  the  pickets,  who  informed  us  that  we  had  been  given  up  as 
“ bushwhacked,”  and  that  a detail  had  been  made  to  hunt  us 
up  in  the  morning.  We  were  delighted  to  get  back  safe,  and 
the  boys  were  overjoyed  at  our  success. 

It  was  long  after  ‘ ‘ taps  ” when  we  rolled  into  our  dog-tent 
that  night.  Who  can  describe  a soldier’s  dreams  after  such  a 
trip,  and  in  view  of  what  we  were  to  have  to  eat  the  next  day? 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  we  had  a royal  feast  for  all  of  old  Com- 
pany I. 

L.  F.  GOULD, 

Company  I,  73d  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 

EXPERIENCE  OF  EDWARD  PENSTONE  AS  A 
PRISONER. 

COMPANY  H,  SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS. 

As  we  made  the  charge  at  Chickamauga,  I was  shot  down,  the 
ball  passing  through  the  left  arm,  and,  striking  me  in  the  side, 
knocking  me  senseless.  When  I revived,  a rebel  regiment  was  in 
line  close  by  me,  firing  at  our  boys  as  they  retreated  up  the  slope. 
After  the  firing  ceased,  I,  with  some  more  of  our  men  who 
were  taken  prisoners,  was  marched  about  a mile  in  the  rear. 
Those  of  us  who  were  wounded  were  sent  to  General  Breckin- 
ridge’s division-hospital,  where  our  wounds  were  dressed  as  our 
turns  came.  Rebels  and  Yankees  were  treated  the  same.  We 
were  there  ten  days,  sleeping  on  the  ground  at  night,  with  no 
covering  but  our  blankets  and  the  trees  above  us.  I did  not  even 


612 


PRISON  EXPERIENCE. 


have  a blanket ; but  a dollar  greenback  soon  procured  me  one. 
There  were  about  fifty  of  our  wounded  there,  though  I was  the 
only  one  from  the  73d.  Several  of  our  boys  died  there,  and  those 
of  us  who  could  walk  were  sent  to  Kinggold,  Georgia.  There  we 
found  several  hundred  of  our  men,  and  were  all  put  on  the  cars 
and  sent  to  Atlanta,  Georgia. 

As  they  marched  us  from  the  depot  to  the  stockade,  or,  what 
they  called  the  bull-pen,  they  took  care  to  take  us  through  all  the 
principal  streets,  which  were  lined  with  people,  to  get  a sight  of 
what  they  called  the  “Blue-bellied  Yankees.”  I guess  we  must 
have  made  a sorry  appearance  in  our  dirty  and  blood-stained 
clothes,  just  as  we  were  taken  from  the  field  of  battle.  (The  next 
year,  when,  after  the  battles  of  Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy  Station,  we 
marched  into  Atlanta  from  the  south,  with  flags  flying  and  bands 
playing,  there  was  quite  a change  in  our  reception).  We  were 
kept  at  Atlanta  two  or  three  days,  and  then  sent  on  to  Richmond, 
Virginia.  We  were  told  that  when  we  reached  there  we  would  be 
paroled  and  sent  North,  but  were  badly  disappointed. 

Arriving  early  in  October,  we  who  were  wounded  were  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest,  and  sent  to  the  hospital — a large  tobacco  ware- 
house near  Libby  prison — where  we  were  given  cots  to  sleep  on,  and 
I got  the  first  good  rest  since  the  battle  of  Chickamauga ; the 
nurses  say  I slept  twenty-four  hours.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  I 
got  my  wounds  properly  dressed,  and  cleaned  some  of  the  blood 
and  dirt  off  my  clothes.  Our  rations  there  were  enough  to  keep 
us  alive — a pint  of  bean  or  pea  soup,  a small  piece  of  meat,  and  a 
slice  of  bread  twice  a day.  We  amused  ourselves  by  playing  chess 
and  other  games,  and  were  allowed  to  send  short,  open  letters  to 
our  friends  at  home,  telling  where  we  were,  and  how  badly  we  were 
wounded. 

I had  been  reported  killed ; my  mother  and  sisters  had  put  on 
mourning,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Whipple,  of  the  Congregational  Church  at 
Griggsville,  Illinois,  was  to  have  preached  my  funeral  sermon  on 
Sunday  ; but  my  father,  receiving  a letter  from  me  the  Friday  be- 
fore, stating  that  I was  alive  and  well,  prevented  it. 

About  ten  o’clock  each  day  an  old  darkey  came  around  with  the 
dead-wagon,  to  take  away  the  boys  who  had  died  during  the 
night.  There  were  generally  three  or  four,  mostly  the  poor  fellows 
who  were  brought  from  Bell’s  Island,  on  the  James  River,  and  they 
were  nearly  dead  from  starvation  and  exposure  before  they  came. 

About  the  20th  of  November,  a number  of  us  were  taken  to 


PAROLED  AND  EXCHANGED. 


613 


another  prison,  a block  from  Libby,  where  I found  Wm.  Cammire, 
of  Company  H,  73d.  He  was  the  first  man  of  our  regiment  that 
I had  seen  since  the  battle,  and  had  been  wounded  in  the  head. 
One  dark,  stormy  night,  while  the  rebel  guard,  who  usually  stood 
on  the  street  in  front  of  our  building  had  stepped  inside  for 
shelter,  Wm.  Cammire  and  a man  belonging  to  a New  York 
battery,  escaped  by  making  a rope  of  their  blankets  and  climbing 
down  from  a third-story  window  to  the  street.  They  found  a skiff, 
and  rowing  across  to  the  south  side  of  the  James  Eiver,  succeeded  in 
reaching  our  lines.  I should  have  gone  with  them,  but  with  one 
arm  in  a sling,  could  not  climb  down  the  rope.  I have  always 
thought  it  strange  that  more  of  our  men  did  not  try  to  escape,  as 
the  rope  hung  there  until  just  before  daylight,  when  some  one 
drew  it  in  and  hid  it.  The  next  day,  when  the  little  rebel  Sergeant 
Ross  counted  us,  and  found  two  missing,  he  was  furious ; but 
though  he  threatened  all  kinds  of  punishment,  no  one  would  tell 
how  they  escaped. 

One  morning,  about  the  15th  of  December,  the  rebel  doctor 
who  dressed  our  wounds,  told  us  that  a Union  vessel  was  coming 
up  the  James  River  to  City  Point,  with  a number  of  rebel  pris- 
oners, to  be  exchanged  for  a number  of  our  men,  and  some  of  the 
men  were  to  be  taken  from  our  prison.  We  were  wdld  with  ex- 
citement. Who  would  be  the  lucky  ones?  was  the  next  question. 
At  noon  a rebel  captain  came  and  picked  out  such  as  he  thought 
least  likely  to  be  of  service  for  some  time.  We  signed  our  paroles, 
and  took  the  oath  not  to  fight  again  until  exchanged,  and  that 
night  we  were  taken  to  City  Point.  At  daylight  we  saw  our  steamer 
at  anchor,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floating  in  the  breeze.  It  was 
the  first  time  we  had  seen  our  flag  for  three  months,  and  we  felt 
like  we  were  getting  back  into  “ God’s  Country.” 

The  transfer  from  one  vessel  to  the  other  was  soon  made,  and 
we  were  taken  to  Annapolis,  Maryland,  and  sent  to  the  college  build- 
ings, which  were  then  used  as  hospitals,  where  we  received  the  best 
of  care.  I was  declared  exchanged  in  March,  1864,  went  to  the 
regiment,  and  staid  with  it  until  we  were  mustered  out  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  in  June,  1865. 

In  response  to  an  inquiry  made,  we  have  been  in- 
formed by  letter  from  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
Hecord  and  Pension  Division  of  the  War  Department, 
U.  S.  A.,  that  the  following  named  men  were  on  extra 


614 


SUNDRY  MATTERS. 


daily  duty  as  regimental  pioneers,  during  and  for  some 
time  after  the  battles  of  Nashville  : Richard  Baker, 
Company  A;  Geoige  W.  Falor,  Company  B;  Isaac  R. 
Thornton,  Company  C ; Samuel  J.  Boen,  Company  C ; 
Samuel  T.  Rickets,  Company  D ; Edwin  Robinson,  Ser- 
geant, Company  E ; Sampson  McCool,  Company  E ; 
George  Dudney,  Company  F ; James  0.  Thompson, 
Company  G ; James  Lytle,  Company  H ; Jason  Lyon, 
Corporal,  Company  I ; Robinson  Crews,  Company  K ; 
W.  H.  Newlin,  Lieutenant,  Company  C. 

The  same  letter  informs  us  that  the  official  records 
of  the  regiment  do  not  show  who  were  the  first  color- 
guards  and  color-bearer  in  the  year  1862. 

The  names  of  the  comrades  who  served  on  the  first 
detail  of  color-guards  for  the  73d,  are  as  follows,  so  far 
as  has  been  ascertained : David  F.  Lawler,  Company 
B ; William  D.  Coffin,  Company  D ; Benjamin  F.  Kirk- 
ley,  Company  E;  James  J.  Boland,  Company  F;  Wm. 
Talbott,  Company  G;  James  Lytle,  Company  H;  Ash- 
ford W.  Clark,  Company  I,  colo7'-hearer . 

After  the  wounding  of  A.  W.  Clark,  D.  F.  Lawler, 
of  Company  B,  carried  the  colors,  or  had  charge  of 
them,  through  the  remainder  of  the  battle  of  Perry- 
ville,  and  until  further  orders.  It  is  impossible  to  as- 
certain farther  concerning  color-guards,  but  it  is  safe 
to  say,  that  after  the  first  year.  Company  C furnished 
the  color-bearers : Jehu  Lewis  and  Robert  J.  Hasty. 

At  the  battle  of  Franklin,  Dr.  Pond,  surgeon  of  the 
73d,  became  deeply  interested  in  some  of  the  prelimi- 
nary operations.  He  was  desirous  of  ascertaining 
whether  or  not  a certain  contingency  had  been  pro- 
vided for ; whether  a section  of  artillery  had  been  moved 
from,  or  to,  a certain  place,  or  something  of  that  kind. 


HISTORY  OF  A BIBLE.  , 


615 


Colonel  Opdycke  called  the  doctor  to  an  account,  telling 
him  that  he  was  very  much  out  of  place ; that  his 
services  would  soon  be  needed  in  another  and  quite  a 
different  locality.  Just  at  that  time  things  assumed  a 
very  threatening  aspect— in  fact,  matters  became  very 
hot  immediately  after  the  doctor  hurried  off  in  accord- 
ance with  Colonel  Opdycke’s  suggestion.  That  was  one 
time  when  the  doctor  did  not  stop  long  to  argue  the 
case,  or  to  ask  : ^‘What’s  the  matter?” 

CAPTURED,  RECAPTURED,  AND  SURRENDERED. 

S.  S.  Lytle,  of  Company  F,  11th  Iowa  Infantry,  lost, 
among  other  things,  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  in  April, 
1862,  a small  pocket  Bible,  which  was  precious  to  him 
in  itself,  but  more  so  on  account  of  associations,  having 
been  presented  to  him  in  the  year  1854  by  his  mother. 
One  Jesse  W.  Wyatt,  of  the  12th  Tennessee  Confed- 
erate Volunteers,  became  proprietor,  by  right  of  capture, 
of  this  Bible,  and  retained  possession  and  proprietor- 
ship of  the  same  for  more  than  two  years,  until  the 
seventeenth  day  of  May,  1864,  at  the  battle  of  Adairs- 
ville,  Georgia,  when  Charles  W.  Keeley,  of  the  Preacher 
Pvegiment,”  Company  F,  too,  recaptured  the  Bible,  and 
held  possession  of  it  as  a sacred  war  relic  until  the 
year  1887,  a term  of  twenty-three  years,  when  he,  after 
repeated  solicitations,  sent  the  Bible  to  its  owner,  S.  S. 
Lytle. 

It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  Comrade  Keeley 
parted  with  this  Bible  ; but  thinking  that  if  anybody 
was  more  or  better  entitled  to  it  than  himself,  it  was 
S.  S.  Lytle,  he  sent  it  to  him.  And  there  is  this 
further  thought  in  connection  with  this  case  : If  there 
is  anything  a member  or  survivor  of  the  Preacher 


616  FA  ME  OF  THE  SE  VEN  T Y-  THIRD  ILLINOIS, 


Regiment”  ought  to  have  ‘‘enough  ;m<l  to  spare”  of,  it 
is  Bibles.  So  the  act  of  Comrade  Keeley  in  surren- 
dering the  Bible  to  the  11th  Iowa  man,  is  one  to  be 
commended  and  approved,  and  it  is  hereby  approved  by 
these  head-quarters. 

There  were  several  instances  in  which  the  bullets  of 
the  enemy  came  in  contact  with  Bibles  on  the  persons  of 
soldiers  of  the  73d.  The  73d  was  a Bible  Regiment. 

Doctor  Turner,  mayor  of  Fairmount,  Illinois,  or  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  in  his  address  of  wel- 
come to  the  comrades  of  the  73d,  on  the  occasion  of 
their  third  annual  reunion,  held  in  that  village,  October 
8,  1889,  said  he  had  heard  of  the  73d  on  the  western 
border  of  the  continent. 

Senator  Dolph,  of  Oregon,  in  a public  address,  inci- 
dentally mentioned  the  regiment  in  a complimentary  way 
for  its  conduct  in  some  one  of  its  many  engagements — 
Stone  River,  perhaps.  It  has  been  but  a few  years 
since  Dr.  Turner  heard  the  address  referred  to ; so  the 
fame  of  the  73d  has  spread  abroad,  and  no  doubt  is 
still  living  and  spreading,  or  will,  as  this  history  gains 
circulation  among  the  people. 

In  this  connection  we  may  mention  the  fact,  that 
Colonel  Schaefer’s  dying  utterances  w^’ere  partly  in  praise 
and  commendation  of  the  conduct  of  the  73d  at  Stone 
River.  He  had  never  before  eulogized  the  regiment — 
had  abused  it  rather  ; but  under  the  circumstances  he  re- 
deemed the  past,  and  set  himself  aright  before  his  death. 

EXPERIENCE  IN  SOUTHERN  PRISONS. 

Of  those  members  of  the  73d  who  were  prisoners  of  ^:ar,  iiont? 
served  or  suffered  a longer  term  of  imprisonment  than  did  John  L. 
Hesser  and  John  W.  North,  of  Company  A.  The  circumstances 
attending  their  capture  did  not  differ  materially  from  those  at- 


B JOSSER  AND  NORTH. 


617 


tending  the  capture  of  all  others  of  the  73d.  Hesser  and  is’orth 
were  made  prisoners  at  nearly  the  same  time — about  noon,  Sun- 
day, September  20,  1863.  On  the  way  to  the  rear.  North  secured 
the  hat-cord,  Bible,  and  two  or  three  other  articles  belonging  to 
Adjutant  Winget.  These  articles  were  faithfully  kept,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  were  delivered  to  Winget’s  relatives. 

Brown  and  Newlin,  of  Company  C,  joined  Hesser  and  North 
very  soon  after  they  reached  the  point  where  the  prisoners  were 
being  collected.  It  was  not  known  to  these  four  for  some  days 
whether  any  of  their  regimental  comrades,  except  the  wounded, 
were  captured.  Joseph  C.  Squires,  a young  orderly  of  Rosecrans’s 
staff,  fell  in  with  the  group,  more  particularly  with  North.  An 
order  and  a plan  of  battle  which  Squires  had,  was,  by  North’s 
advice,  committed  to  the  flames.  On  meeting  Colonel  Von  Strader, 
after  tarrying  a day  and  night  with  the  73d  squad,  young  Squires 
placed  himself  under  his  care. 

Sunday  night  the  prisoners  were  corraled  at  a point  about  half 
way  between  Ringgold  and  Tunnel  Hill.  Several  thousand  rails 
were  burned  at  this  point  by  the  prisoners,  not  as  a matter  of 
necessity  to  promote  comfort,  but  that  was  the  only  way  in  which 
the  boys  could  prosecute  the  war  under  the  circumstances. 

Shortly  after  eight  o’clock  Monday  morning,  having  had  some 
coffee  (the  last  to  many)  and  crackers,  the  prisoners  and  their 
guards  moved  on  to  Tunnel  Hill,  meeeting  on  the  way  a Confed- 
erate ammunition  train  and  escort.  A small  bit  of  bacon  was 
issued  to  each  prisoner  at  Tunnel  Hill,  and  soon  after,  the  train 
of  box  stock-cars  having  been  made  up,  the  prisoners  were  crowded 
into  them,  and  the  journey  to  Richmond  commenced.  Hesser  and 
his  regimental  comrades  managed  to  get  in,  or  on,  the  same  car, 
having  agreed  to  stick  together  through  the  trying  ordeal  of 
prison-life. 

After  a tedious  trip,  Atlanta  was  reached,  late  on  September 
22d.  A delay  occurred  here  until  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the 
time  being  passed  by  the  prisoners  inside  the  barracks.  Some  in- 
ferior grade  rations  were  issued,  and  rolls  of  the  prisoners  were 
made  out,  showing  name,  company,  and  regiment  of  each  man. 
The  journey  was  resumed  early  on  the  24th,  with  a detail  of  guards 
from  the  militia.  Not  knowing  anything  about  real  soldiering, 
these  guards  were  very  “pesky”  and  officious. 

Augusta  was  the  next  stopping  place.  The  prisoners  were 
taken  from  the  cars  again,  and  guarded  during  night  in  the  court- 


618 


ON  TO  RICHMOND. 


house  yard.  Mounting  the  cars  again  on  the  morning  of  the  25th, 
the  trip  was  resumed.  Arrived  at  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  early 
on  the  26th,  and,  after  a short  delay,  proceeded  toward  Ra- 
leigh, arriving  there  Sunday  afternoon,  September  27tli.  Passing 
on  through  Charlotte  and  Greensboro,  Weldon  was  reached  late  on 
the  28th. 

The  prisoners  were  taken  off  the  cars  at  Weldon,  and  guarded 
over  night  in  the  open  space  alongside  the  railroad.  Rations 
were  issued  early  on  the  29th,  and  immediately  afterward  the  word 
was:  All  ahoardr  Starting  out  at  once  and  moving  steadily  on, 
Petersburg  was  passed  and  Richmond  reached  the  night  of  the 
29th  of  September. 

It  was  fully  two  hours  from  the  time  of  getting  off  the  cars  before 
the  prisoners  were  turned  into  Libby  prison,  at  ten  P.  M.  Owing 
to  the  arrival  at  an  unseasonable  hour  of  a large  number  of 
“guests,”  the  space  being  insufficient,  the  prisoners  were  crowded 
together,  and  failed  to  get  any  sleep  or  rest  that  was  beneficial. 
On  the  30th,  however,  after  being  thoroughly  “gone  through,” 
and  relieved  of  some  money,  knives,  and  other  traps,  these  prison- 
ers were  moved  to  the  Rosser  building,  remaining  there  until  Oc- 
tober 1st,  then  changed  to  Pembertm^  building  for  awhile,  and 
then  to  the  Smith  building. 

While  on  the  street,  marching  along,  Hesser  and  his  three  com- 
rades espied  three  more  comrades  of  the  73d,  who  had  been  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  viz.  : Jesse  D. 
Kilpatrick,  Company  B,  and  AVm.  F.  Ellis  and  John  Thornton,  of 
Company  C,  the  latter  a nephew  of  Brown.  This  discovery  was 
made  just  in  time  to  get  all  seven  of  the  squad  together  before 
entering  the  prison  building.  At  this  late  date  it  is  impossible  to 
definitely  determine  which  of  the  two  buildings  we  occupied  first 
after  leaving  the  Rosser  house,  the  Pemberton  or  the  Smith 
building.  While  in  the  buildings — all  tobacco-houses — last  named, 
rations  in  light  quantities  were  issued  regularly  twice  a day,  unless 
some  of  the  cooking  apparatus  got  out  of  fix.  During  this  time 
the  raid  was  made  on  the  sugar  in  the  basement  of  the  prison. 
The  raid  was  soon  discovered,  and  promptly  checked,  by  the  re- 
moval of  the  sugar  to  another  place.  Time  Avas  spent  in  conjectur- 
ing what  the  next  day,  or  week,  would  bring  forth,  in  reading,  in 
case  of  having  any  matter  at  hand,  in  playing  checkers,  and  in 
slaying  gray-backs.  Hesser  says  he  thinks  he  played  ten  thousand 


SOME  VERY  TEDIOUS  DAYS. 


619 


games  of  checkers,  but  he  must  have  meant  that  he  slew  ten  thou- 
sand   with  the  jaw-bone  of  his  thumb-nails. 

Confinement  in  prison  was  very  exasperating  to  Hesser.  He 
very  frequently  grew  impatient,  and  criticised  the  Government  in 
language  not  very  mild,  considering  that  he  was  a member  of  the 
Preacher  Regiment,  for  not  bringing  about  an  exchange  of  prisoners. 
North  was  very  considerate  and  patient,  and  exercised  a whole- 
some influence  over  Hesser,  curbing  and  modifying  his  tendency 
for  outbreaking  and  turbulent  denunciation  of  the  way  things 
were  going. 

Time  passed  wearily  ; there  was  but  little  to  relieve  the  dull- 
ness and  monotony  of  life  within  prison-walls.  The  hours  seemed 
so  long,  even  in  day-time ; and  at  night,  when  prisoners  were  rest- 
less and  sleepless,  they  seemed  interminably  lengthened  out.  “Post 
number  five  ! Half-past  three  o’clock,  and  all ’s  well !”  as  squawked 
out  by  a guard  in  the  early  morning,  was  a reminder  to  many  a 
wakeful  prisoner  that  it  was  almost  an  age  till  daylight. 

November  13th  brought  a change.  The  prisoners  were  moved 
across  the  street,  and  some  distance  farther  east,  and  put  in  the 
Scott  warehouse  to  remain  until  next  day,  on  which  date  they  were 
taken  out  and  marched  to  the  railroad,  loaded  into  hog-cars,  and 
shipped  to  Danville.  They  arrived  at  Danville,  Virginia,  at  noon 
of  Sunday,  November  15th.  On  the  way,  Hesser  and  his  regi- 
mental comrades,  by  hustling^  contrived  to  keep  together,  and  - so 
were  quartered  on  the  second  floor  of  prison  No.  2,  a frame  build- 
ing. Rations  were  issued  once  each  day,  instead  of  twice,  as  at 
Richmond.  This  made  less  trouble  all  around,  and  many  prisoners 
made  one  meal  only  out  of  the  morsel  they  received. 

There  was  a good  deal  of  talk,  planning,  and  scheming,  with 
reference  to  an  outbreak ; overpowering  the  guards,  and  attempt- 
ing a wholesale  flight.  This  was  about  all  it  amounted  to.  It 
seemed  to  facilitate  the  flight  of  time,  and  did  some  good  in 
that  way. 

While  in  this  prison,  Hesser  enumerated  more  varieties  of  pie  than 
he  had  ever  sampled  before  that  time,  or  since.  He  was  certainly 
trying  himself  to  see  how  much  he  could  cause  the  mouths  of  his 
comrades  “ to  water.”  If  all  the  different  varieties  had  been  noted 
by  name  it  would  have  been  a pie  dictionary,  or  vocabulary.  One 
thing  is  quite  certain,  Hesser  did  not  sample  any  one;  not  even 
the  commonest,  of  his  many  varieties  of  pie  while  in  prison. 

On  December  15th,  on  account  of  small-pox,  one  member  of 


620 


A KDEBSOMVLLJ^:,  GEOJiGJA. 


the  mess  had  to  separate  from  the  others  and  go  to  the  hospital. 
As  it  turned  out,  this  member  never  returned  to  the  prison  or 
mess  again,  as  'vvas  expected.  Between  Christmas  and  January 
1st  this  ex-member  wrote  and  sent  to  Hesser  a note,  informing  him 
that  he  was  getting  well.  Failing  to  get  any  more  notes  or  other 
word,  Hesser  concluded  his  former  messmate  had  sutfered  a re- 
lapse, and  gone  to  join  the  silent  army  of  the  dead,  when,  in  fact, 
he  had  only  gone  to  rejoin  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

Early  in  March,  1864,  the  prisoners  were  removed  from  Dan- 
ville to  AndersonviJle,  Georgia.  The  season  of  the  year,  the  con- 
dition of  the  prisoners,  and  the  quality  of  the  transportation  fur- 
nished, combined  to  produce  not  only  discomfort,  but  much  suffering 
among  the  prisoners.  The  train-load,  which  included  Hesser  and 
his  comrades,  reached  Andersonvilie  about  March  20th.  \Vhile 
the  grounds  were  fresh  and  clean,  and  pieces  of  wood  and  brush 
could  be  gathered,  with  which  to  build  fires  for  cooking  purposes 
or  comfort,  and  before  the  stockade  was  crowded  with  prisoners, 
their  condition  was  not  nearly  so  bad  as  it  subsequently  became. 
Some  time  was  required  to  originate  and  put  in  operation  a sys- 
tem of  slow  but  sure  starvation,  and  deprivation,  also,  ir.  other 
directions.  The  workings  cf  the  system  had  to  be  observed,  so 
that  it  might  be  rendered  more  severe  and  effectual  in  accomplish- 
ing the  purposes  desired.  AVeather,  hot  and  dry,  heat  of  the 
southern  sun,  were  powerful  factors,  in  connection  with  scant,  im- 
pure, and  unwholesome  food  and  filthy  water,  in  bringing  about 
such  a physical  condition  of  the  prisoners  as  would  render  them 
liable  to  all  sorts  of  diseases,  the  most  tolerable  of  which  were 
loathsome  and  debilitating  in  the  extreme. 

The  spring  and  early  summer  passed  without  any  of  the  com- 
rades with  whom  Hesser  was  immediately  associated  having  to  suc- 
cumb to  the  undermining  and  deteriorating  and  disintegrating  pro- 
cesses inseparable  from  the  system  inaugurated  in  the  treatment  of 
the  prisoners.  But  as  the  number  of  prisoners  increased,  as  the 
quantity  and  purity  of  supplies  decreased,  as  the  opportunities  for 
cleanliness  diminished  or  entirely  failed,  and  as  the  summer  ad- 
vanced the  expected  results  began  to  “crop  out”  abundantly. 
John  Thornton  died  September  16th,  Enoch  P.  Brown  died  Sep- 
tember 20th,  and  AYilliam  F.  Ellis  died  September  23d.  The  two 
former  died  at  Andersonvilie,  while  the  latter  died  in  the  jail-yard 
at  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  At  about  the  dates  above  given,  and 
later,  the  shipment  of  prisoners  back  and  forth  to  Charleston  and 


JIESSER  AND  EORTIL 


G21 


Florence  and  other  points,  and  then  back  to  Andersonville,  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  them  beyond  the  possible  reach  of  succor  by 
the  bodies  of  raiding  cavalry  sent  out  by  Sherman,  commenced. 
Thus  it  is  explained  how  it  came  that  Ellis  died  at  Charleston.  He 
left  Andersonville,  but  did  not  live  to  get  back  there.  Hesser  de- 
scribes the  death  of  Billy  Ellis  to  be  the  most  pitiable  and  sorrowful 
scene  he  ever  witnessed.  After  his  company  comrades,  Thornton 
and  Brown,  died,  Billy  seemed  to  lose  heart  and  all  hope,  and 
gradually  and  surely  yielded  to  the  inevitable,  expressing  in  his  last 
moments  an  intense  desire  to  see  his  mother  and  home  once  more; 
but  he  yielded  up  his  young  life  with  the  knowledge  that  the  pre- 
cious privilege  he  yearned  for  could  not  be  vouchsafed  to  him. 
There  were  hundreds  of  such  cases. 

The  death  of  the  three  persons  named,  Newlin  having  shaken 
the  dust  of  Dixie — within  Confederate  lines — from  his  feet,  reduced 
the  squad,  or  mess,  to  three — Hesser,  North,  and  Kilpatrick. 
These  three  found  other  associates,  and,  by  dint  of  hard  and  close 
watching  and  sharp  management,  lived  to  get  through  the  fearful 
and  trying  ordeal.  At  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  however, 
Kilpatrick  died  from  the  effects  of  indiscretion  in  eating.  This 
was  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  or  early  in  April,  1865,  while  on 
the  way  North  for  exchange. 

The  “saving  clause”  with  Hesser  and  North,  perhaps,  was  in 
being  able  to  borrow  money  of  a party  who  knew  North’s  father, 
and  felt  certain  he  would  get  his  money  back  if  he — the  party — 
lived,  whether  North  lived  or  not.  All  that  was  necessary  was  for 
the  father  to  know,  or  have  some  assurance,  that  his  son  received 
the  money.  Some  sort  of  evidence  of  indebtedness,  due-bill,  or 
note,  was  furnished  by  Hesser  and  North,  and  paid  by  them  after 
the  “cruel  war”  was  over.  With  the  money  thus  provided, 
Hesser  and  his  comrade  bought  food  and  sanitary  supplies,  the 
latter  serving  them  a good  purpose  in  checking  and  counteracting 
the  ravages  of  scurvy  in  their  systems.  The  money  borrowed  was 
not  all  the  money  they  obtained. 

Sometime  in  the  course  of  the  late  summer  or  early  fall,  some 
unfortunate  prisoner  died,  leaving  a few  trinkets,  including  an 
old-fashioned  daguerreotype,  in  Hesser’s  care,  to  deliver  to  his 
family,  in  case  Hesser  survived.  Through  all  the  changes  and 
vicissitudes  of  his  imprisonment,  Hesser  clung  to  the  trinkets, 
though  he  was  on  the  point,  two  or  three  times,  of  throwing  them 
away,  until,  by  mere  chance  or  accident,  one  day,  the  picture  and 


622 


OUT  OF  PRISON. 


inside  frame  or  case  dropped  out  of  the  larger  outside  case,  re- 
vealing, to  the  great  astouishmeiit  aud  delight  of  Hesser  and  his 
comrades,  five  or  six  greenback  bills,  twenties  aud  tens,  neatly- 
folded  and  tucked  in  the  case.  It  almost  scared  Hesser  to  think 
how  often  and  how  nearly  he  came  to  throwing  the  trinkets  aside  as 
an  unnecessary  and  useless  burden.  This  money  was  “put  where  it 
would  do  the  most  good,”  and  helped  out  wonderfully.  We  do 
not  know  whether  Hesser  has  quit  looking  for  the  family  of  the 
man  who  intrusted  him  with  the  trinkets  or  not.  He  may  have 
settled  that  score  years  ago,  however. 

North  became  pretty  generally  and  favorably  known  among 
the  prisoners  on  account  of  his  kind,  conciliatory,  and  cheering 
words  to  his  fellow-prisoners.  We  do  not  mean  to  be  under- 
stood as  intimating  that  Hesser  was  unfavorably  known,  because 
the  contrary  was  true  ; but  North,  being  a very  large  man,  was 
more  conspicuous,  and  being  always  considerate  of  the  weak,  aud 
never  failing  to  use  his  best  efforts  to  secure  “fair  play”  for  them, 
was  generally  and  favorably  known. 

ESCAPE  OF  W.  H.  NEWLIN  FROM  PRISON, 

P'EBKUARY  19,  TO  MARCH  22,  1864. 

In  the  year  1866  we  prepared  an  account,  giving  all  the  de- 
tails of  our  experience  in  getting  out  of  the  scrape  which  bad  its 
beginning  at  Chickamauga.  After  condensing  it  somewhat,  we 
published  the  account  in  1870,  and  in  1885  we  incorporated  a few 
facts  and  particulars,  supplementary  to  the  original  narrative. 
This  narrative  having  been  sold  to  the  number  of  at  least  twelve 
thousand  copies,  we  assume  that  nearly  all  the  readers  of  this 
book  have  some  knowledge  of  the  leading  facts,  as  set  forth  in  the 
narrative ; and  we  shall  treat  only  on  three  or  four  points  or 
features  of  our  experience  in  coming  up  from  Dixie,  in  this 
sketch. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  it  was  no  very  great  or  difficult 
achievement  to  effect  an  escape  from  a Southern  prison  during  the 
late  war.  We  think  differently,  and  will  venture  a few  reasons 
for  our  opinion  on  this  matter.  The  Southern  States,  and  espe- 
cially Virginia,  was  the  field  of  operations  of  both  armies.  This 
resulted  in  producing  a scarcity  of  food,  and  necessitated  the  build- 
ing up  of  an  extensive  home-guard  system  on  the  part  of  the 
Confederates. 


DIFFJCUL  TIES  ENCO  UF  TER  ED. 


623 


At  all  the  larger  towns,  and  at  very  many  smaller  ones,  where 
there  were  no  regular  troops,  these  home-guards  were  to  be 
found  in  squads  of  a dozen  and  more.  These  guards  were  vigi- 
lant and  active  in  picking  up  conscripts  for,  and  deserters  from,  the 
Confederate  service,  spying  out  and  arresting  Union  citizens,  and  in 
recapturing  and  returning  to  captivity  escaping  Federal  prisoners. 

In  1864,  when  nearly  the  entire  population  of  the  rebel  States, 
subject  to  military  duty,  were  either  at  the  front  or  preparing  to 
go  there,  or  were  in  the  militia  or  State  service,  or  doing  duty  as 
home  guards,  it  was  quite  an  easy  thing  for  a very  small  squad  of 
men  to  attract  notice,  and  be  called  to  an  account.  The  number 
of  Federal  prisoners  that  attempted  an  escape  through  the  Con- 
federate territory,  and  were  recaptured,  some  the  second  and  tliird 
time,  is  proof  of  the  risk  and  difficulty  attending  an  expedition  of 
this  kind. 

Late  in  the  war,  it  was  incumbent  on  the  Confederate  home- 
guards  to  catch  as  many  prisoners,  deserters,  and  other  persons  who 
were  hiding,  as  was  possible,  in  order  to  keep  themselves  from  being 
sent  to  the  front,  by  showing  an  apparent  necessity  at  least  for  their 
organization.  Density  of  the  population  North  operated  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  Confederate  prisoner  or  squad  in  making  an  escape 
from  Chicago,  Illinois,  Elmira,  New  York,  or  other  points,  where 
held ; while  the  reverse  as  to  the  population  South,  operated  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  the  escaping  Federal  prisoner  in  the  manner  already 
noted.  A detachment  of  cavalry  was  kept  at  or  near  Danville, 
Virginia,  the  point  we  escaped  from,  whose  duty  it  was  to  patrol  up 
and  down  on  either  side  of  Dan  River,  in  quest  of  “ loose  Yan- 
kees,” and  to  intercept  and  recapture  them,  if  found,  and  to  keep 
a watch  at  the  ferries  and  crossings. 

Our  companions  on  the  trip  through  from  prison  were  L.  B. 
Smith,  4th  Michigan  Cavalry  ; William  Sutherland,  16th  United 
States  Infantry;  and  John  F.  Wood,  26th  Ohio  Infantry.  Robert 
G.  Taylor,  2d  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  and  W.  C.  Tripp,  15th 
United  States  Infantry,  started  with  us.  The  former  continued 
with  us  one  week,  and  the  latter  two  weeks.  We  supplied  our- 
selves with  food  and  clothing  at  the  small-pox  hospital  immediately 
before  slipping  off  from  the  guards,  the  night  of  February  19, 
1864.  Extremely  cold  weather  for  that  region  prevailed  at  the 
date  mentioned.  This  was  against  us  in  one  sense,  that  of  comfort ; 
but  doubtless  we  were  fully  compensated  by  lack  of  watchfulness 
on  the  part  of  guards,  and  also  lack  of  suspicion  that  prisoners 


624 


START  NOR  THWA  RD. 


would  venture  out  in  such  weather ; and  the  further  fact  that  we 
were  apt  to  move  the  more  rapidly  in  order  to  warm  ourselves. 
We  got  away  from  the  hospital  and  guards  in  detachments  of  two 
each,  and  by,  or  before,  midnight  our  party  of  six  comrades  had 
effected  a junction  at  a point  previously  agreed  on,  and  wer'j 
making  “good  time”  in  a south-westerly  direction. 


ICNGRAVED  EXPRESSLY  FOR  NEWEIN’S  “NARRATIVE  OF  PRISON  ESCAPE.’’ 

SIXTEENTH  THOUSAND. 

At  about  two  o’clock  in  the  early  morning  of  February  20th 
we  arrived  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  Seven  Mile  ferry,  on  Dan 
River.  Tripp’s  precaution,  and  the  cold  weather  together,  pre- 
vented our  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  “butternut”  cavalrymen, 
who  were  posted  at  the  ferry.  We  quickly  and  noiselessly  fell  back 


THE  SECOND  MASSACHUSETTS  CAVALRYMAN  ,625 


from  our  advanced  position,  and,  on  reaching  a safe  place,  con- 
sulted briefly,  and  determined  to  push  on  up  the  river,  which  we 
did,  and  by  midnight  of  the  20th  we  were  safely  across  Dan  River 
and  ready  to  start  in  the  direction  of  the  Union  lines.  The  point 
where  we  crossed  the  river  was  at  least  twenty  miles  from  Dan- 
ville and  the  small-pox  hospital.  We  failed  in  our  first  attempt 
to  secure  food,  mainly  on  account  of  a squad  of  cavalry ; perhaps 
the  same  one  we  bad  encountered  at  the  ferry.  Getting  off  from  that 
place,  as  from  the  ferry,  but  not  without  leaving  plain  traces  be- 
hind us,  we  humped  ourselves  during  the  remainder  of  that  night, 
Sunday,  February  21st.  Monday,  22d,  we  got  a bountiful  store 
of  provisions,  all  we  could  carry,  paying  the  negroes  sixty  dollars 
therefor  out  of  the  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  Confederate 
shin-plasters  we  had  procured  before  setting  out  on  our  trip.  This 
supply  lasted  until  February  27th,  the  day  in  the  early  morning 
of  which  we  left  Taylor  behind. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  sketch  we  have  Taylor’s  name  as 
Robert  G.  Taylor,  which  was  the  name  he  gave  us  at  the  time  we 
parted  from  him.  We  have  no  recollection  of  hearing  his  given 
name  mentioned  at  any  previous  time  in  the  short  period  of  our 
association  with  him,  the  beginning  of  which  was  attended  by 
rather  peculiar,  not  to  say  suspicious  circumstances.  The  writer, 
as  ward-master  of  ward  number  one  at  the  hospital,  received  a 
note  from  some  Confederate  authority  at  Danville,  introducing  the 
bearer,  Taylor,  and  requiring  us  to  give  him  work  in  the  ward. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  there  were  plenty  of  convalescents  in  the 
ward  at  the  time,  both  able  and  willing  to  give  all  the  assistance 
needed,  we  thought  the  circumstance  a little  strange,  in  connection 
with  the  further  fact  that  Taylor  came  out  to  the  hospital  unat- 
tended by  a guard.  We  complied  with  the  request,  however,  and 
assigned  Taylor  a share  of  the  work,  and  thought  but  little  more 
of  the  matter,  supposing  an  explanation  of  the  case  might  be  found 
in  the  fact  that  Taylor  was  an  Englishman,  and  was  not  a natu- 
ralized citizen  of  the  United  States,  having  been  in  this  country 
but  a few  weeks,  or  months  at  most,  before  his  enlistment  in  the 
army.  In  the  narrative  referred  to,  we  give  the  details  of  our 
separation  from  Taylor,  the  reasons  assigned  by  him  for  preferring 
to  be  left,  also  the  substance  of  information  bearing  upon  his  case, 
or  another  very  similar  one,  and  also  the  sad  fate  which  Taylor 
met,  allowing  the  information  was  correct,  and  had  reference  to 
him.  We  left  Taylor,  with  a well-grounded  suspicion  that  some- 

40 


G26 


A POSSIBLE  EXPLANATION. 


thing  was  kept  back ; that  he  had  other  reasons,  which  he  did  not 
disclose,  for  persisting  in  being  left  alone. 

In  trying  to  verify  his  record  as  a member  of  the  2d  Massachu- 
setts Cavalry,  we  found  that  there  were  seven  Taylors  in  that  regi- 
ment, and  neither  of  them  named  Kobert  G.  Alex.  H.,  Thomas  J. , 
Thomas,  John,  Samuel,  Archibald,  and  George  were  the  given 
names  of  the  seven  Taylors  respectively  found  on  the  rolls  of  the 
organization  named.  If  the  Taylor  we  left  died  at  or  near  the 
place  where  we  left  him,  as  the  information  received  indicates,  and 
if  he  was  a member  of  the  2d  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  then  the 
record  of  George  Taylor  would  come  very  nearly  suiting  or  meeting 
the  conditions  in  the  case  of  the  man  we  left,  George  Taylor’s  rec- 
ord being  as  follows:  “ Age,  twenty-three ; residence,  San  Fran- 
cisco ; date  of  enlistment,  March  19,  1863 ; May  10,  1803,  de- 
serted.” Will  state  in  this  connection,  that  a portion  of  the  2d  Mas- 
sachusetts Cavalry — some  four  companies,  perhaps  five — came  from 
California,  and  was  called  and  known  as  the  “ California  Contingent.” 

Five  of  the  Taylors  are  accounted  for  in  the  manner  following : 
“Discharged  April  14,  1865 — disability.”  “Mustered  out  July 
20,  1865 — expiration  of  service.”  “Mustered  out  July  20,  1865 — 
expiration  of  service.”  “ Discharged  June  7,  1865 — expiration  of 
service.”  “ Died  September,  1864,  at  Savannah,  Georgia.”  The 
space  opposite  the  name  of  Thomas  Taylor,  wherein  he  should  be 
accounted  for,  is  left  blank  ; but  as  he  enlisted  June  10,  1864,  he 
could  not  have  been  the  man  we  left  behind  the  night  of  Friday, 
February  26th,  of  that  year. 

Thomas  J.  Taylor  enlisted  April  22,  1864,  so  he  could  not  have 
been  the  man  we  left.  It  is  barely  possible,  even  probable,  that 
the  George  Taylor  mentioned  may  have  been  the  man  we  left. 
The  age  and  the  different  dates  given  in  connection  with  his 
name  do  not  conflict  or  render  it  impossible  or  unlikely  that  he 
should  have  been  the  man ; and  the  desertion  would  go  far,  very 
far,  in  explanation  of  the  determination  manifested  by  our  man 
to  have  his  own  way  as  to  a matter  that  most  seriously  concerned 
himself.  We  have  letters  from  James  McDougal,  Salinas  City, 
California;  W.  D.  Belknap,  Youngsville,  Pennsylvania;  T.  L. 
Kodgers,  Blake,  Florida ; George  H.  Cordwell,  Shirley,  Mas- 
sachusetts; H.  H.  Crocker,  Washington,  New  Jersey;  George 
A.  Manning,  Rathdrum,  Idaho ; Charles  O.  Welch,  Salem,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  from  two  or  more  other  persons,  in  response  to 
requests  for  information  concerning  Taylor,  but  none  of  them  con- 


PURSUED  BY  THE  ENEMY. 


627 


tain  any  information  of  date  later  than  our  own  personal  knowl- 
edge. We  became  informed  as  to  Taylor’s  surname  and  the  regi- 
ment he  belonged  to  before  any  motive  could  have  existed  in  his 
mind  to  prompt  him  to  deceive  us. 

Some  six  or  seven  miles  from  the  point  where  we  left  Taylor, 
we  spent  February  27th,  exhausting  our  supply  of  food  late  in  the 
day,  and  the  night  of  that  day  we  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  Mount- 
ain, passing  through  a gap,  which,  according  to  information  lately 
obtained,  is  located  near  the  Peaks  of  Otter  River. 

On  Sunday,  February  28th,  we  procured  our  second  supply  of 
food,  having  arranged  for  it  before  daylight.  Near  midnight  we 
passed  through  Big  Lick,  a station  on  the  East  Tennessee  and  Vir- 
ginia Railroad,  and  before  daybreak  of  the  29th  rain  began  fall- 
ing, causing  us  much  discomfort,  besides  delaying  us  until  the 
night  of  March  2d.  The  delay  was  partially  compensated  by  an 
opportunity  of  securing  more  food  and  some  information  as  to  roads. 

We  traveled  faithfully  the  night  of  March  2d,  also  the  night  of 
March  3d,  until  about  four  o’clock  in  the  morning  of  the  4th, 
when,  owing  to  our  weariness,  the  roughness  of  the  country,  and 
a considerable  stream  which  ran  across  our  route,  we  fell  back 
to  a safe  hiding-place,  as  we  supposed ; but  learning  early  in  the 
day  that  our  position  was  uncomfortably  near  to  a sugar-camp, 
which  was  being  operated,  and  not  very  far  from  a camp  of  train- 
guards,  we  were  compelled  to  change  base,  or  at  least  did  do  so,  and 
by  three  o’clock  P.  M.,  and  just  after  we  had  crossed  the  stream 
before  mentioned,  we  had  a lively  race  with  a detail  of  train- 
guards,  which  continued  for  the  space  of  thirty  minutes. 

In  making  this  extraordinary  race,  W.  C.  Tripp  was  compelled 
to  take  to  cover,  hide  himself  among  the  rocks  on  top  the  mount- 
ain, up  the  rugged  side  of  which  we  scrambled  hurriedly  and  very 
laboriously,  knowing  that  the  rebels  could  not  pursue  us  on  horse- 
back over  that  route.  Tripp  got  separated  from  the  other  four  of 
our  party,  and,  like  Taylor,  was  left  alone.  Almost  immediately 
after  first  hiding,  Tripp  was  either  overlooked  or  ignored  by  the 
pursuing  rebels,  who  kept  right  on  at  their  best  speed,  hoping  and 
expecting  to  gobble  our  entire  party.  Tripp  shifted  from  his  first 
cover  to  another  close  by,  and  watched  and  waited  for  the  return 
of  the  enemy,  with  feelings  of  no  little  anxiety.  The  Confeder- 
ates soon  tired  of  their  chase,  and  started  back  to  camp  in  a very 
disappointed  mood,  passing  near  the  place  of  Tripp’s  concealment, 
and  stopping  and  sitting  down  on  the  rocks  to  rest  at  the  point 


628 


TRIPP  LEFT  ALONE. 


where  Tripp  first  hid.  Well,  they  did  not  catch  us,  neither  did 
they  catch  Tripp,  but,  after  a little  time,  got  up  and  went  their 
way  wearily  to  camp. 

Tripp  fully  expected  we  would  be  overtaken  and  recaptured, 
and  on  learning  we  were  yet  free,  he  started  out  to  find  us  as  soon 
as  the  rebels  had  departed.  The  shades  of  closing  day  coming  on, 
he  moved  rapidly  for  some  distance  in  the  direction  we  had  gone  ; 
tried  at  first  to  discover  our  trail,  but  could  not.  He  stopped, 
called,  signaled,  and  waited  for  response  from  us,  but  no  response 
did  he  hear,  nor  other  noise  or  sound  save  the  echo  of  his  own  voice, 
broke  the  excessive  stillness  which  prevailed  all  around  him.  Tripp 
had  no  idea  how  far  or  how  rapidly  we  had  traveled ; nor  did  we, 
as  we  put  our  whole  strength  into  the  flight,  becoming  thoroughly 
warmed,  perspiring  freely,  puflSng  and  blowing,  until,  of  necessity 
from  sheer  exhaustion,  we  “slowed  up,”  but  did  not  stop  before 
we  had  nearly  cooled  off,  which  was  best  for  us. 

We  devote  a small  space  now  to  Tripp.  He  soon  realized  that 
he  was  left,  badly  left.  Amid  the  darkness  and  solitude,  he  ex- 
perienced a lonesomeness  that  was  intensified  to  such  a degree  as 
to  baffle  description.  Being  both  hungry  and  crumbless,  as  well  as 
bewildered  and  weary,  made  his  case  worse,  if  possible.  He  moved 
about  considerably  in  the  early  part  of  the  night,  hoping  to  dis- 
cover some  means  of  relief,  hear  some  voice,  or  see  a light,  if  only 
a dim  one,  in  the  distance.  At  last,  weary  of  groping  in  the  dark- 
ness, he  halted  for  rest  and  slept  some  before  sunrise  of  March  5th. 
On  that  date  Tripp  managed  to  place  himself  in  a position  where 
he  could  be  safe,  and  from  which  he  could  venture  after  night-fall, 
and  soon  reach  a human  habitation  where  his  most  pressing  wants 
could  be  supplied.  He  followed  up  this  path  of  opportunity,  called 
at  a house — the  abode  of  Union  people — got  food,  shelter,  and  in- 
formation; but  none  of  the  latter  was  concerning  us.  Tripp  in- 
formed me  by  letter  in  1881,  that  he  never  made  any  inquiries  for 
his  “ flying  comrades,”  supposing,  perhaps,  that  we  being  good  flyers, 
had  “gone  up.” 

Falling  into  the  hands  of  friends,  Tripp  recuperated  for  three 
or  four  days,  in  the  meantime  obtaining  information  that  a certain 
person  was  going  to  start  through  to  the  Union  lines  about  the  first 
of  April.  He  visited  this  man,  and  found  the  information  was 
correct,  and  arranged  to  go  through  with  him.  Another  man 
wanted  to  go,  and  still  another,  and  another,  and  Tripp  kept  on 
until  he  had  seen  six  or  seven  or  more  persons  who  wanted  to 


MISSED  OUR  WAY. 


629 


make  an  exit  from  Dixie.  Where  so  many  were  concerned,  delay 
was  inevitable,  and  Tripp  finally  “struck”  the  wrong  man,  and 
the  result  was  his  recapture  April  6th.  He  was  subjected  to  several 
examinations  before  civil  magistrates,  but  he  was  not  proven  to  be 
a spy  as  charged.  In  course  of  time  he  was  sent  to  Richmond  as 
a “demented  Yankee” — which  he  was  not  by  any  means — kept 
there  until  September,  1864,  was  then  paroled,  sent  to  Annapolis, 
Maryland,  or  some  other  point,  to  be  exchanged  and  discharged, 
his  term  of  service  having  in  the  meantime  expired. 

We  recur  now  to  the  events  in  the  experience  of  our  party  on 
and  after  March  4th  As  soon  as  we  realized  we  were  winners  in 
the  race,  we  changed  direction  and  went  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  stopping  for  a brief  rest  when  about  half-way  to  the 
valley.  An  hour  later  we  took  supper  at  the  cabin  of  a Union 
family,  where  we  found  a deserter  from  Buckner’s  Confederate 
force,  hid  under  the  bed.  We  came  upon  the  house  so  suddenly, 
that  this  deserter  had  no  opportunity  to  escape  from  it.  Until 
informed  by  us  to  the  contrary,  these  people  considered  us  a de- 
tachment of  home-guards  from  New  Castle.  We  were  directed  to 
the  home  of  “ Jeems”  Huffman,  where  we  arrived  at  about  nine 
o’clock  P.  M. , being  provided  with  another  and  better  supper  near 
midnight.  We  feasted,  with  no  thought  that  Tripp  was  supperless 
and  lonely.  We  imagined  that  he  was  surrounded  and  being  fed 
by  the  enemy. 

Though  receiving  particular  directions  how  to  get  across  Craig’s 
Creek  at  a certain  place,  we  failed  to  find  that  place,  owing  to  rain 
and  darkness,  and  in  wading  that  stream,  our  whole  party  got  a thor- 
ough and  cold  soaking.  Smith  would  probably  have  drowned  had 
Sutherland  not  been  in  a position  to  aid  him.  The  discomfort  we 
experienced  in  the  early  morning  hours  of  March  5th  can  scarcely 
be  depicted,  yet  we  have  no  recollection  that  anything  was  said 
about  pensions,  as  we  exerted  ourselves  to  dry  our  clothing  by 
the  warmth  of  our  bodies,  produced  by  the  extra  exertion.  We 
carried  with  us  from  Huffman’s  some  shelled  corn  and  Irish  pota- 
toes, the  parching  and  roasting  of  which,  together  with  eating  our 
rations  and  drying  our  clothing,  occupied  the  time  March  5th, 
sleep  being  next  to  impossible  under  the  circumstances.  The  night 
of  the  5th,  we  got  a cake  of  corn-bread  at  the  house  of  a Confed- 
erate home-guard,  who  had  seen  service  at  the  front  in  Buckner’s 
army  in  East  Tennessee.  As  on  the  previous  night,  we  missed  our 
way,  and  were  compelled  to  retrace  our  steps,  losing  several  hours 
in  consequence. 


630 


*^BOGUS  YANKEES.’^ 


Sunday,  March  6th,  we  slept  awhile;  but  owing  to  the  bleak 
weather,  the  scant  quantity  and  inferior  quality  of  our  food,  the 
day  seemed  a long  one.  At  ten  o’clock  P.  M.  we  reached  the 
abode  of  William  Paxton,  the  point  we  had  expected  to  make 
twenty  hours  earlier.  We  got  a late  supper  at  Paxton’s,  and  in- 
structions, the  following  out  of  which  would  take  us  to  the  home 
of  another  good  Union  man,  where  we  arrived  by  about  four 
o’clock  Monday  morning.  We  made  our  presence  known  imme- 
diately, thinking  we  should  receive  advice  and  shelter,  but  were 
disappointed.  It  was  at  this  point  where  “bogus  Yankees  ” began 
to  prove  an  obstacle  in  our  pathway. 

A woman,  the  wife  of  Robert  Childs,  protested  against  being 
interrupted  at  that  early  hour,  alleging  her  husband  was  not  at 
home.  We  went  on  nearly  a fourth  of  a mile,  and  hid  for  the 
day.  We  had  no  thought  of  other  or  further  trouble  than  merely 
that  occasioned  by  Childs’s  absence,  and  that  trouble,  we  thought, 
would  be  done  away  by  the  approach  of  midday,  whether  Childs 
returned  or  not.  After  sunrise,  one  of  our  party  visited  Childs’s 
house,  and  was  told  by  Mrs.  Childs  that  her  husband  had  not  re- 
turned. An  extended  conversation  was  had  with  Mrs.  Childs, 
during  which  she  plainly  announced  her  disinclination  to  aid  us  or 
any  squads  of  soldiers  roving  about  over  the  country,  no  matter 
which  army  they  claimed  to  belong  to.  Her  talk  was  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  we  had  hoped  and  expected  to  hear,  our  impres- 
sions as  to  the  character  and  sterling  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the 
Union  of  Childs  and  his  wife  being  due  to  the  information  Pax- 
ton had  given  us  at  the  time  of  sending  us  to  their  house. 

“Bogus  Yankees,”  a then  very  recent  invention  or  discovery, 
was  the  cause  of  the  trouble.  Childs  had  just  been  apprised  a day  or 
so  before  we  called,  as  to  the  objects  and  methods  sought  and  prac- 
ticed by  “ bogus  Yankees,”  but  Paxton  was  yet  ignorant  of  this  new 
affliction  and  agency  of  persecution  of  Southern  Union  people. 
Well,  at  the  close  of  the  unsatisfactory  talk  with  Mrs.  Childs,  she 
gave  us  a dish  heaped  full  of  the  remnants  of  the  family  breakfast, 
and  promised  to  send  her  husband  to  our  hiding-place  as  soon  as  he 
came  home.  Our  squad  thoroughly  relished  and  as  thoroughly  de- 
voured the  food  Mrs.  Childs  furnished,  caring  little  for  the  time  as  to 
whether  she  was  Union  or  rebel  in  her  sympathies  and  affiliations. 
Luckily,  by  mere  accident,  we  convinced  Childs,  on  his  second 
visit  to  us  in  our  retreat,  that  we  were  not  “bogus  Yankees,”  as 
himself  and  wife  had  reason  to  suspect,  but  were  the  real 


WE  FOUND  FRIENDS. 


631 


“ true  blue,”  genuine  Yankees,  some  of  whom  he  had  befriended 
a few  weeks  before  the  date  of  our  visit  to  him.  We  happened 
to  mention  the  names  of  two  men  who  had  received  “ aid 
and  comfort”  from  Childs  while  on  their  way  escaping  prison, 
and  described  each  of  them  minutely,  whereupon  Childs  “owned 
up,”  and  gave  at  length  an  explanation  for  his  conduct,  telling  us 
about  the  deception  and  carrying  off  in  irons  to  captivity  of  cer- 
tain Union  men,  neighbors  of  his,  by  false  or  pretended  Yankee 
prisoners,  called  by  the  Union  people  “ bogus  Yankees.”  As  soon 
as  Childs  found  we  were  all  right,  he  was  the  same ; and  we  found 
that  Paxton’s  information  was  correct ; also  that  Mrs.  Childs’s  act 
in  giving  us  a breakfast  was  the  index  of  her  character  rather 
than  the  words  or  sentiments  she  seemed  to  express. 

Childs  determined  to  warn  Paxton  next  day  of  the  danger  of 
playing  into  “false  hands.”  It  was  exceedingly  provoking  to  be 
placed  in  a position  which  made  it  impossible  to  get  assistance  from 
our  friends ; at  the  same  time  being  suspected  as  being  not  only 
rebels,  but  deceivers  and  impostors,  by  passing — up  to  a certain  stage 
in  the  game — ourselves  off  for  what  we  were  not.  We  have  always 
thought  Kobert  Childs  was  secreted,  either  in  the  house  or  about 
the  premises,  during  the  whole  of  our  two  interviews  with  his 
wife.  Circumstances  undoubtedly  compelled  her  to  resort  to  the 
practice  of  deception  to  protect  her  husband,  as  she  fully  believed 
we  were  playing  that  sort  of  game,  with  the  intention  of  making 
him  the  victim. 

On  parting  from  Childs,  we  were  directed  to  the  home  of  David 
Hepler,  eight  miles  distant,  with  the  assurance  that  our  description 
of  the  two  men  who  had  gone  before  us,  getting  away,  whom 
Hepler  had  also  aided,  would  be  certain  to  insure  us  a welcome 
and  such  assistance  as  might  be  necessary  at  his  hands.  This 
turned  out  as  expected.  We  remained  during  the  night  of  March 
7th  under  Hepler’s  roof,  and  immediately  after  breakfast,  on  the 
8th,  Hepler  went  with  us  to  the  highest  point  in  the  mountain 
west  of  his  house,  from  which  the  house  of  William  Lewis  could 
be  dimly  seen.  Being  in  the  very  roughest  region  in  Virginia,  in 
Alleghany  County,  as  well  as  Alleghany  Mountains,  we  were  to 
go  across  the  two  valleys  and  ridge  of  mountain  between  them  to 
Lewis’s  house  in  daylight,  it  being  next  to  impossible  for  strangers 
to  go  over  the  rout  by  night.  We  parted  from  Hepler,  and  found 
trouble  enough  in  finding  our  way  in  day-time.  On  going  up  the 
rugged  side  of  the  mountain  on  which  Lewis’s  house  was  located  we 


632 


DISTRUSTED  BY  FRIENDS, 


met  two  men,  one  woman  and  child  coming  down  the  winding  path. 
Neither  party  accorded  the  other  any  recognition  beyond  keeping  out 
of  the  way  one  of  the  other.  We  suspected  they  were  rebels,  and 
they  suspected  we  were  rebels,  as  was  ascertained  later,  but  both 
were  mistaken.  The  two  men  and  another  we  met  that  night  at 
Lewis’s  house,  and  had  quite  an  extended  interview  with  them, 
but  were  unable  to  come  to  an  understanding.  Owing  to  the 
muddle,  the  exceedingly  rough  nature  of  the  country,  and  the 
change  of  weather  (rain  beginning  and  continuing  to  fall  for  a 
day  or  two,  then  changing  to  snow),  and  being  destitute  of  rations 
and  information,  we  made  our  way  back  to  Hepler’s,  arriving  there 
at  noon  of  March  9th,  as  wet  as  “drowned  rats.” 

Hepler  was  much  alarmed  by  our  reappearance,  and  concluded 
we  were  “ bogus,”  and  had  only  returned  to  “gobble”  him.  We 
finally  succeeded  in  reassuring  Hepler,  telling  him  if  we  were 
“bogus”  he  had  already  showed  his  hand,  and  matters  would  be 
no  worse  for  him,  let  him  do  as  much  as  he  might  for  us,  suppos- 
ing we  were  genuine.  We  remained  with  Hepler,  hid  out  on  the 
mountain-side  on  his  premises  until  the  morning  of  March  13th. 
In  the  meantime  Hepler  saw  his  son,  who  was  one  of  the  men  we 
had  met  at  Lewis’s,  and  was  a brother-in-law  to  Lewis,  and  found 
that  the  latter  had  been  taken  in  by  the  “ bogus  Yankees.”  Be- 
coming again  fully  convinced  that  we  were  all  right,  Hepler  tried 
to  get  a good  Union  man  named  Huddleson  to  guide  us  through  a 
part  of  the  way  to  the  Union  lines.  But  Huddleson  was  unneces- 
sarily cautious ; said  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  us,  and  that 
we  would  yet  prove  to  be  “ bogus.” 

Patching  up  a little  during  this  delay,  and  provided  with  some 
parched  corn,  we  took  leave  of  Hepler  the  second  time  on  March 
13th.  We  went  in  day-time,  as  in  the  first  case,  to  Lewis’s  house, 
remained  near  it  over  night,  and  before  finally  leaving  it  we  took 
all  we  could  find  there  in  the  provision  line,  and  something  more. 
March  14th  to  16th  we  passed  through  a very  rough  country, 
reaching  the  Greenbrier  River  on  the  latter  date.  We  rested 
one  night,  on  finding  we  could  safely  do  so,  in  a barn  on  the 
premises  of  a Union  family  named  Mann.  Five  or  six  miles  west- 
ward of  the  river  we  procured  a guide  by  the  name  of  Alderman, 
‘who  conducted  us  twenty  miles  in  day-time  along  obscure  paths 
and  by-paths,  on  March  18th. 

On  leaving  us  in  the  midst  of  a wilderness  of  woods  on  the 
crest  of  a high  ridge,  the  top  and  sides  of  which  were  marked  by 


ARRIVE  WITHIN  UNION  LINES. 


633 


deep  and  narrow  paths  made  by  deer,  Alderman  gave  us  mi- 
nute and  somewhat  extended  directions  as  to  how  to  find  Neff,  his 
brother-in-law,  who  lived  north  of  the  Gauley  River.  We  were  to 
follow  these  directions  up  to  a given  point  in  day-time,  March  19th, 
resting  the  night  of  the  18th  at  the  place  where  Alderman  left  us, 
heeding  his  admonition  to  keep  the  fire  burning  all  night  which  he 
started  for  us,  so  the  **  boogers  would  n’t  git  ” us. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  we  were  put  across  the  Gau- 
ley River  by  Mr.  Neff,  and,  after  being  provided  with  breakfast  at 
his  house,  we  were  secreted  for  the  day  not  far  from  the  sugar- 
camp  where  Neff  was  at  work.  Dinner  and  supper  were  furnished 
us,  and  after  sunset,  having  received  instructions  from  Neff*,  we 
started  out  on  the  road  leading  down  the  Gauley  River  to  Gauley 
bridge,  about  forty-nine  miles  distant.  Our  instructions  contem- 
plated our  hiding  away  safely  during  the  day,  March  21st,  but 
early  on  the  morning  of  that  date  we  unexpectedly  ran  on  to  an 
aged,  loyal  Irishman,  from  whom  we  derived  information,  which, 
after  due  consideration,  determined  a diff*erent  course  for  us  to  pur- 
sue. We  traveled  steadily  all  day  March  21st,  arriving  at  the 
Union  lines  just  before  dark  of  that  date. 

This  was  the  end  of  a long  period  of  suspense,  anxiety,  and  ex- 
citement. For  more  than  four  weeks  we  had  to  keep  a sharp  look- 
out behind,  before,  and  on  either  hand.  March  22d  was  the  first 
day  for  many  days  that  we  felt  absolutely  and  perfectly  safe  and 
free  to  relax  our  watchfulness  and  solicitude.  The  reader  may  pos- 
sibly be  able  to  faintly  imagine  the  extent  of  our  joy  and  thank- 
fulness for  our  deliverance  from  the  privations  and  sufferings  inci- 
dent to  prison  life  and  fare  in  the  Southern  Confederacy ; we  know 
we  can  not  describe  it.  As  the  years  pass,  the  recollection  of  those 
adverse  and  perilous  days  grows  not  dim,  but  our  fortunate  escape 
from  prison,  missing  Andersonville,  and  ‘‘  ills  that  we  knew  not 
of,”  is  to  us  an  exultant  memory,  and  becoming  more  and  more  so. 

Of  the  four  who  completed  the  trip,  one  comrade,  John  F. 
Wood,  Company  G,  26th  Ohio  Infantry,  was  wounded  early  on  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  and  died  June  20,  1864.  L.  B.  Smith,  Com- 
pany F,  4th  Michigan  Cavalry,  resides  at  Dundee,  Monroe  County, 
Michigan.  William  Sutherland,  Company  H,  16th  United  States 
Infantry,  resides  near  Eagle,  Clinton  County,  Michigan.  The 
writer,  W.  H.  Newlin,  Company  C,  73d  Illinois  Infantry,  resides 
at  Springfield,  Illinois.  W.  C.  Tripp,  Company  E,  15th  United 
States  Infantry,  resided,  at  latest  account,  near  Hilliard,  Franklin 


634 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  TERM  BUMMERS 


County,  Ohio,  but  he  was  with  us  two  weeks  only.  Of  Taylor, 
who  claimed  to  be  a member  of  the  2d  Massachusetts  Cavalry,  we 
have  no  tidings. 


“BUM”  RODGERS. 

Along  about  1855,  a boy  was  picked  up  on  the  streets  of  New 
York  City  by  the  ladies  engaged  in  the  commendable  and  charitable 
work,  at  “ Five  Points,”  of  gathering  together  such  waifs  as  had 
no  home  or  friends.  These  they  placed  in  their  charitable  home  or 
school,  known  as  the  Five  Points  School.  This  boy  was  retained 
there  until  a home  was  found  for  him  with  a farmer  in  Tazewell 
County,  Illinois. 

At  the  organization  of  Company  B,  73d  Illinois,  he  was  enlisted 
as  drummer  in  the  company,  as  William  D.  Rodgers.  He  was  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old,  and  a very  bright,  active  boy,  who 
made  friends  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  apparently 
came  of  Irish  parents,  and  was  possessed  in  an  unusual  degree  of 
that  quick  wit  for  which  that  people  are  famous.  He  soon  be- 
came a great  favorite  in  his  company,  for  he  was  one  of  the  most 
liberal-hearted  and  congenial  members  of  the  company.  He  always 
spoke  of  himself  as  “ Poor  Bum,”  and  soon  came  to  be  known  as 
“ Bum  Rodgers.” 

He  often  sang  an  Irish  song,  of  which,  “Bummers,  beware! 
and  suoozers,  take  care!”  was  the  closing  line  of  each  verse.  In 
answer  to  the  question  of  the  writer  of  this  as  to  where  he  learned 
the  song,  he  explained  that,  when  a “bummer”  in  New  York, 
they  had  among  themselves  as  street-gamins  a sort  of  organization 
for  mutual  protection  against  the  raids  that  were  made  upon 
them  by  the  police  and  others  who  were  wont  to  annoy  them,  and 
often  disturb  and  break  their  rest  at  night  in  their  usual  haunts  in 
empty  boxes,  barrels,  hogsheads,  etc.  One  of  their  number  was 
always  placed  on  guard  to  give  the  alarm  at  the  approach  of  the 
enemy,  and  this  song  was  used  as  a signal.  The  last  words  of  each 
verse,  “Bummers,  beware!  and  snoozers,  take  care!”  would  be 
followed  by  a general  stampede. 

From  his  frequent  use  of  these  words,  he  very  soon  came  to 
be  known  in  the  regiment  as  “Company  B’s  bummer,”  and  ere- 
long this  name  had  attached  itself  to  the  other  musicians  of  the 
company,  then  spread  to  musicians  of  the  other  companies  of  the 
left  wing,  and  very  soon  to  all  musicians  of  the  regiment.  By  de- 
grees it  became  customary  to  apply  it  to  company  cooks,  hostlers, 


AT  HIS  OLD  TRADE. 


635 


teamsters,  hospital  nurses,  and  orderlies  about  head-quarters,  and 
by  the  spring  of  1864  it  had  become  a common  name  for  all  per- 
sons who  did  not  actually  carry  arms  and  do  duty  in  the  ranks. 
This  was  true,  not  only  in  the  73d,  but  in  other  regiments  of  the 
brigade  and  division. 

From  that  time  on,  old  comrades  who  were  on  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign will  remember  how  common  the  name  became,  and  how  it  was 
applied  to  every  man  who  was  away  from  his  command,  no  matter 
for  how  short  a time.  The  pioneers  were  “ bummers the  man  who 
fell  out  of  ranks  on  a march  was  a “ bummer;”  the  foragers,  above 
all  others,  were  “bummers and  Bum  Rodgers  was  admitted  by  all 
who  knew  him  to  be  the  “King  Bee”  in  the  swarm  of  bumming 
foragers.  So  when  the  army  left  Atlanta  on  its  famous  “ march 
to  the  sea,”  and  the  entire  marching  column  became  foragers,  it 
was  but  natural  that  they  should  all  become  “ bummers,”  and 
with  the  training  they  had  received  by  Bum  Rodgers  and  his  as- 
sociates, were  very  successful ; and  no  history  of  the  great  Rebellion 
is  complete  in  which  “ Sherman’s  bummers”  do  not  have  a very 
prominent  place. 

I am  told  he  is  still  at  his  old  business  of  foraging  and  “ bum- 
ming” in*  the  wilds  ol  the  Rocky  Mountains.  His  exploits  as  a 
“ bummer  ” in  the  army  would  make  a very  interesting  as  well  as 
very  large  volume.  He  could  pass  the  most  vigilant  guard  ever 
placed  around  a camp,  could  beat  the  most  expert  provost-marshal 
that  ever  signed  or  approved  a pass.  When  captured  at  Chicka- 
mauga  with  Will  Jaquess,  who  was  an  enlisted  musician,  he  went 
boldly  to  the  rebel  officer  in  charge  of  the  guard,  represented 
that  Will  was  a civilian,  son  of  the  colonel,  who  was  only  on  a 
visit  to  his  father,  and  therefore  not  liable  to  be  held  as  a prisoner 
of  war ; and  his  statement  seemed  so  honest,  and  his  demand  so 
forcibly  put,  that  the  officer  passed  Will  through  the  lines  without 
further  evidence.  “Bum”  was  sent  to  prison  in  Richmond,  where 
he  feigned  rheumatism,  and  played  his  part  so  well  that  he  was 
soon  exchanged  and  returned  to  his  company. 

He  was  never  caught  but  once  in  his  foraging  expeditions. 
General  McCook  and  staff  rode  upon  him  while  appropriating  the 
contents  of  a very  heavy  bee-gum.  He  had  conquered  the  bees 
when  he  was  caught,  and,  without  ceremony,  he  was  taken  in 
charge  by  a staff  officer.  He  asked  to  be  allowed  to  speak  to  the 
general,  to  whom  he  represented  his  case  in  such  a favorable  light 
that  he  was  at  once  released,  and  soon  marched  into  camp  with  the 


636 


SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS  INFANTRY. 


full  contents  of  the  bee-gum.  He  was  an  expert  ‘ ‘ chuck-luck  ” 
player,  by  which  he  accumulated  several  hundred  dollars.  This 
the  writer  sent  to  his  friends  in  Illinois  for  him,  and  there  it 
awaited  him  upon  his  return  from  the  army. 

He  was,  without  doubt,  the  original  “ bummer”  of  Sherman’s 
army,  justly  entitled  to  the  honor  of  having  originated  the  name 
in  the  army,  and  if  half  the  reports  are  true,  should  Bum  Rodgers 
meet  with  any  of  the  readers  of  this,  they  might  well  say  : “ Bum- 
mers, beware ! and  snoozers,  take  care  !” 

Bum  Rodgers  was  a good  soldier,  and  did  faithfully  and  well  all 
duty  assigned  him,  and  was  withal  a warm-hearted , generous  comrade. 
He  was  always  the  leader  of  his  mess — whether  for  good  or  evil  — 
a polished  gentleman  in  genteel  society,  and  a “ hail-fellow”  at  all 
times.  G.  W.  PATTEN. 

ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

At  this  place  it  was  intended  to  show  the  roll  of 
honor  of  the  73d.  It  would  have  embraced  one  hun- 
dred or  more  names  of  comrades  who  were  killed  in 
battle,  or  died  of  wounds.  (See  Roster.)  The  roll 
of  honor  and  much  other  carefully  prepared  and  re- 
vised matter  intended  for  this  history  was,  at  the  last 
moment,  rejected.  The  pages  in  this  book  number  fully 
two  hundred  more  than  were  first  allotted  to  it. 

The  revised  reports  of  the  adjutant-general  of  Illi- 
nois fail  to  show  the  full  number  of  men  of  the  73d 
who  were  wounded  in  the  course  of  three  years’ 
service.  We  are  able  to  present  the  following  names 
of  wounded  of  the  regiment: 

Field  and  Staff. — William  A.  Presson,  James  I. 
Davidson,  Thomas  Motherspaw,  Henry  A.  Castle. 

Comfany  A. — Emanuel  Cross,  John  W.  Griffiths, 
George  Hudson,  Pierson  H.  Kiser,  Jacob  Ruffle,  Thomas 
C.  Perry,  James  Kelley,  Richard  Baker,  Edward  Can- 
trill,  John  S.  Kiser,  John  Tally,  Joseph  Williams. 

Compamj  B. — Richard  B.  Scott,  Daniel  Boyden 


CASUALTIES  OF  BATTLES. 


637 


(twice),  Reuben  Dodd,  Jacob  Hildebrand,  James 
Holmes,  Joel  Isenberg,  William  H.  McNichols,  Joshua 
Bailey,  David  W.  Alexander,  John  A.  Brown,  Thomas 

C.  Hatch,  Andrew  J.  Reid,  Marshall  Brown,  George 
W.  Patten. 

Company  C. — Alfred  E.  Lewis,  Samuel  Hewitt,  Will- 
iam R.  Lawrence,  William  H.  Newlin,  Carey  A.  Savage 
(accidentally),  Joseph  A.  Allison,  John  Braselton,  John 
R.  Burke  (arm  amputated),  Samuel  J.  Been,  William 

D.  Bales,  Josiah  Cooper  (leg  amputated),  David  W. 
Doop,  John  Doop,  Henderson  Goodwin  (left  arm  am- 
putated October  19,  1886),  Henry  C.  Henderson,  Na- 
thaniel Henderson,  Austin  Henderson,  Abraham  Jones 
(slightly),  Jehu  Lewis,  John  S.  Long,  William  Martin, 
Alex.  C.  Nicholson,  Stephen  Newlin,  Joseph  Reagan, 
Francis  M.  Stephens,  John  J.  Halsted,  John  Bostwick, 
James  E.  Moore  (foot  amputated). 

Company  D. — Jonas  Jones,  Thomas  S.  Jones,  Samuel 
B.  Garver,  Allen  Wiley,  John  Barnes,  Jas.  M.  Branch, 
Thomas  Creviston,  William  D.  Coffin  (twice),  Francis 
M.  List,  Henry  Watrous,  Jesse  Zorger,  Richard  S. 
Hopkins  (twice),  Hiram  S.  Watson,  Thomas  S.  Rush, 
Martin  *V.  Deter,  William  J.  Long,  James  Abnett, 
Hiram  S.  Watson,  Nathaniel  L.  Furguson,  James  W. 
Hold,  John  F.  Brown,  John  M.  j^lbert. 

Company  E. — Joseph  M.  Dougherty,  Mahlon  Al- 
dridge, John  L.  Moore,  William  H.  Neville,  William 
McCoy,  William  Hickman,  William  H.  Busby,  Robert 
Connor  (accidentally),  F.  M.  Dougherty  (accidentally), 
Aaron  Dalbey,  John  C.  Gorrell,  Charles  Harvey,  Pat- 
rick Martin,  John  Murdock,  George  Pierce,  Hilkiah  F. 
Meharry. 

Company  F. — James  A.  Coil,  Wesley  Long,  eJames 


63S 


NAMES  OF  WOUNDED, 


J.  Boland,  Henry  McBride,  Isaac  C.  Coil,  Nelson  G. 
Davis,  George  H.  McKinnie,  Noah  Baxter,  William  W. 
Martenia,  Benjamin  Pounds,  William  Shrader,  William 
B.  C.  Fipton,  Noah  T.  Barrick,  Morgan  Level. 

Company  G, — John  H.  McGrath,  Ezekiel  J.  Inger- 
soll,  William  T.  Talbott,  James  W.  Davis,  William  H. 
Dimmick,  James  Hagle,  Jasper  Hooker,  Stuart  F.  Hos- 
kinson,  William  H.  Crooks,  William  H.  Brown,  Orland 
Meacham,  Patrick  McMahon,  William  T.  Purnell, 
Thomas  Horton,  James  F.  Tolle. 

Company  H. — John  W.  Sherrick,  William  Cammire, 
John  J.  Goullee,  Thomas  Wade,  Elijah  Bazin,  Michael 
Culler,  Smith  Culler,  Marion  Fuller,  Nathaniel  Lynd, 
Isaac  Lytle,  James  Lytle,  Charles  McLane,  James  Mc- 
Knight,  Giles  H.  Penstone,  William  H.  H.  Swin,  Ed- 
w\ard  Penstone  (twice),  Isaac  McCune,  George  John- 
son, James  Greenough,  James  Hedges,  David  Turni- 
' cliff,  Jesse  B.  Newport,  Smith  Hist,  George  Culler, 
James  Lancaster. 

Company  /. — Elisha  T.  McComas,William  B.  Crooker, 
David  Cook,  Daniel  G.  Foster,  Green  W.  Ausbrey,  An- 
drew J.  Parrish,  Alex.  M.  Cassity,  James  0.  Weir, 
Ashford  W.  Clark,  John  S.  Drennan,  William  H.  Dodd, 
Ferd.  M.  Duncan,  James  W.  Denny,  William  F.  Inglish, 
William  E.  Joy,  John  W.  Joy,  George  F.  Sandgrebe, 
James  Mills,  Eleven  0.  Thorp,  Benj.  Schaffner,  Chaun- 
cey  H.  Castle,  William  G.  Miller,  William  Fortner, 
Wiley  Fortner. 

Company  K. — James  A.  Bice,  Franklin  Glidewell, 
Joseph  A.  Weir,  Martin  Moody,  Harlin  P.  Tuthill, 
Jacob  Millhouse,  John  Beam,  Benajah  Morgan,  James 
M.  Murray,  Enoch  Martin,  William  C.  Turk,  George 
Kolb,  Noah  Earner. 


PRISONERS  OF  WAR. 


639 


Some  of  these  men  died  so  soon  after  being  wounded 
that  they  may  be  found  classed  among  the  ‘‘killed,” 
or  “ died  of  wounds.”  This  list  is  nearly  complete  as 
to  Companies  C and  E,  but  incomplete  as  to  all  other 
companies,  owing  to  lack  of  information. 

The  following  is  a list  of  names  of  all  members  of 
^the  73d,  as  far  as  ascertained,  who  were,  for  a longer 
or  shorter  time,  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates,  viz. : 

Company  A. — John  L.  Hesser,  Thomas  C.  Perry,* 
Erastus  Jackson,*  John  W.  North. 

Company  B. — John  Brady,*  Jesse  D.  Kilpatrick,* 
Wm.  D,  McNichols,  John  A.  Brown,*  George  R.  Kib- 
bey,  J.  B.  Baylor,  T.  J.  Frazee,  W.  D.  Rogers. 

Company  C. — Joseph  A.  Allison,*  Enoch  P.  Brown,* 
John  R.  Burke,  William  F.  Ellis,*  Austin  Henderson, 
William  R.  Lawrence,  Jehu  Lewis,  William  H.  Newlin, 
Daniel  Suycott,  John  Thornton.* 

Company  D. — John  Weddle,*  Samuel  B.  Garver. 

Company  E. — Not  represented. 

Company  F. — Charles  W.  Keeley. 

Company  G. — Riley  M.  Hoskinson,  Stuart  F.  Hos- 
kinson,  Thomas  Horton,  Joseph  M.  Derrickson.* 

Company  H. — James  Dolby,*  Edward  A.  Robbins, 
Mark  Dickerson,  William  Cammire,  Edward  Penstone, 
Absalom  Lawless.* 

Company  I. — Gilbert  0.  Colburn,*  John  W.  Fisher, 
James  M.  Joy,  Andrew  J.  Parrish,  Robert  R.  Roberts. 

Company  K. — James  A.  Rice,  Joseph  Jarvis,*  Frank- 
lin Glidewell,*  Jacob  Millhouse,  Benajah  Morgan. 

We  give  below  a list  of  names  of  all  comrades  of 
the  73d  who  have  been  reported  to  us  as  having  died 


Died  in  prison,  16. 


640 


DIED  SINCE  THE  WAR. 


since  their  discharge  from  or  muster  out  of  service. 
It  is  incomplete,  but  the  best  we  can  make,  owing  to 
lack  of  information : 

Meld  and  Staff. — James  I.  Davidson,  Joseph  M. 
M.  Garrett,  Henry  0.  McPherson,  John  S.  Barger, 
Sylvester  Dustin. 

Company  A. — John  W.North,Varnum  T.  Aylesworth, 
Charles  Allen,  Harrison  J.  Beaver,  Jacob  Lindsey,  Isaac 
Miller,  William  Neer,  Lewis  Neer,  Andrew  J.  Perry, 
John  A.  Bobbins,  Philip  N.  Shrake,  John  Tally,  Milton 
Withrow. 

Company  B. — Alfred  Baldwin,  William  F.  Ballard, 
J.  B.  Baylor,  Joshua  Bailey,  Peter  B.  Few,  Bobert 
Faith,  Lewis  Hill,  George  B.  Kibbey,  Samuel  McCor- 
mick, William  Martin,  Adam  Sherman,  John  Wertz. 

Company  C. — Patterson  McNutt,  Tilmon  D.  Kyger, 
John  V.  Don  Carlos,  David  Branson,  Lawrence  Dye, 
Amasa  Hasty,  Abraham  Jones,  John  S.  Long,  James 
S.  Peck,  Daniel  Suycott,  Chris.  C.  Shires,  Walter  Scott, 
Charles  W.  Cook,  James  F.  Williams,  Merida  Thornton. 

Company  D. — James  C.  Spencer,  Hugh  Galbreath, 
John  Cronise,  David  Clover,  Thomas  Jones,  Thomas 
Bush,  James  Howard. 

Company  E. — John  Shults,  Joseph  M.  Dougherty, 
William  A.  Dougherty,  Mahlon  Aldridge,  William 
Powell,  Titus  J.  Fox,  W.  H.  Neville  (killed  February, 
1890,  railroad  bridge  wreck,  Peoria,  Illinois). 

Company  F. — William  Toberman,  William  0.  Wiley, 
Absalom  Newkirk,  Ephraim  Phillips,  James  D.  Evans, 
Harvey  Long,  Isaac  Eisinminger,  Charles  Loutzenhizer, 
Noah  T.  Barrack,  Stephen  Work,  Sidney  Anderson, 
George  Montgomery,  George  W.  Brown,  Logan  Knowles, 
James  A.  Coil,  Henry  Fars. 


INGERSOLVS  DIARY. 


641 


Company  G. — William  Emery,  Alex.  Pennington, 
Oscar  Grorsage,  John  Wright,  Smith  Wright. 

Company  H. — John  Prather,  Samuel  C.  Cohenour, 
William  Harris,  James  Lytle,  Marion  Fuller,  James 
Green,  Oliver  H.  Anderson. 

Company  /. — John  W.  Joy,  William  Crooker,  William 
C.  Gamble,  James  Fortner,  Cole  Moxson,  Jas.  N.  Barger. 

Company  K. — D.  M.  Davis,  Perry  Fulton,  Joseph 
Heiple,  Henry  Hinchcliff,  James  Lancaster,  Henry  C. 
Morgan  (found  shot  in  woods  in  Missouri,  1880;  sup- 
posed suicided  or  assassinated),  Enoch  Martin  (accident- 
ally shot,  1866),  John  Rodman,  Elijah  Stacy,  D.  B. 
Van  Winkle. 

Captain  E.  J.  Ingersoll’s  memoranda,  covering  dates 
November  29  to  December  1,  1864,  inclusive,  besides 
corroborating  fully  other  statements  as  shown  in  chap- 
ter vi,  also  furnish  the  following  additional  testimony 
concerning  Spring  Hill,  the  falling  back  to  Franklin, 
and  the  battle  there  : 

“ November  29th. — . . . Skirmished  with  cavalry.  One  man 

of  Company  G received  a slight  wound.  On  picket  again  at 
night,  south-east  of  Spring  Hill,  left  of  regiment  resting  near  the 
pike.  Crawled  to  top  of  ridge,  and  looked  over  into  Confederate 
camp  ; so  close  we  could  hear  conversation  in  enemy’s  camp.  Our 
troops  kept  moving  all  night. 

'•^November  30th. — Relieved  from  picket;  formed  skirmish- 
line. . . . Regiment  rear  guard,  and  skirmished  all  forenoon. 

Hard  duty.  Very  tired. 

“^P.  M. — Nearing  Franklin.  Rebel  army  appeared  to  be 
marching  in  close  column,  ready  for  engagement.  Enemy’s  cav- 
alry in  force  on  our  right  and  left  flanks. 

3 P.  M. — Passed  through  two  brigades  of  our  division.  Had 
some  conversation  with  artillerymen  about  their  position.  Colonel 
Opdycke  ordered  our  brigade  inside  fortifications,  to  prepare 
lunch.  Brigade  formed  in  rear  of  the  Carter  Hill  and  house,  in 
column  of  regiments ; 73d  in  front,  left  resting  at  the  pike. 

41 


642 


MORE  ABOUT  FRANKLIN. 


Noticed  two  regiments  of  new  troops  in  works  in  line,  one  an  Ohio, 
the  other  a Missouri  regiment.  Called  to  assist  the  major 
commanding  regiment.  Held  conversation  with  the  major ; 
suggested  a move  forward  nearer  crest  of  hill  in  rear  of  works,  by 
which  time  cavalry  on  our  right  were  skirmishing  lively,  and  a few 
spent  balls  fell  among  our  boys.  Major  Motherspaw  did  not  like 
to  move  regiment  without  orders.  Troops  in  front  engaged  those 
in  works  south  of  Carter  house.  Very  uneasy.  That  part  of 
artillery  left  out  in  front  went  to  rear  under  full  whip.  Major 
Motherspaw  went  to  left  of  regiment  and  said  : ‘We  will  move 
out  of  ravine.’  Called  regiment  to  ‘attention.’  The  boys  sprang 
to  arms.  Balance  of  brigade  did  the  same.  The  brigades  out  in 
front  fell  back  in  confusion.  Kebels  charged.  Everything  looked 
panicky  at  this  time,  except  Opdycke’s  brigade.  The  major  gave 
the  command,  ‘ Forward !’  Boys  began  to  cheer  and  yell  as  they 
advanced  ; they  tore  down  a picket-fence  also.  Balance  of  brigade 
caught  the  enthusiam,  and  went  to  the  works,  too ; so  far  as  I 
know,  without  orders.  As  the  left  wing  of  the  73d  was  nearing 
the  Carter  house,  a staff  officer  of  our  brigade  rode  up  and 
said:  ‘ Seventy -thirds for  God’s  sake,  halt!’  I repeated  the  command, 
halted  about  fifty  men  long  enough  to  start  again,  and  then  all 
went  on  to  the  works  together.  Some  of  the  new  troops  went  back 
with  us,  as  did  also  many  of  Conrad’s  and  Lane’s  men.  Think  the 
charge  without  a parallel  in  our  army.  One  of  Company  K 
bayoneted  a rebel  on  the  Carter  house  steps.  I passed  from  Carter 
house  to  cotton-gin,  then  returned  to  first  piece  of  artillery  in 
rear  of  Carter  house.  Captain  Patton,  Adjutant  Wilmer,  and 
myself  assisted  artillerymen  in  firing  until  ammunition  gave  out. 
A lieutenant  of  French’s  division  surrendered  at  the  cannon’s 
mouth.  I took  him  to  brigade  head-quarters.  Met  General  Cox 
on  the  pike  in  front  of  Carter  house  about  five  P.  INI.,  and  again 
at  about  ten  P.  M.,  the  only  general  officer  I saw  on  the  ground. 
Was  struck  by  a ball  on  left  arm  while  assisting  in  firing  cannon. 
When  we  reached  the  works,  the  rebels  were  mostly  on  the  out- 
side. We  left  the  line  about  eleven  o’clock  P.  M.,  crossed  Harpeth 
B,iver  for  Nashville,  arriving  December  1,  1864.” 

Captain  Ingersoll  says  that,  as  to  orders,  Major 
Motherspaw  deserved  more  credit  than  any  other  man, 
as  he  finally  ordered  the  regiment  to  crest  of  hill,  where 
every  man  could  instantly  see  that  the  only  salvation 


OTHER  STATEMENTS, 


643 


for  the  army  was  for  our  brigade  to  retake  and  hold 
the  works  in  front  of  Carter  house.  Having  thus  seen 
the  imperative  need  of  the  occasion,  the  brigade  proved 
equal  to  the  supreme  emergency,  and  saved  the  day 
and  the  Army  of  the  West.  After  the  wounding  of 
Major  Motherspaw,  the  command  of  the  73d  devolved 
upon  Captain  Burroughs. 

In  looking  through  the  mass  of  letters  which  have 
accumulated  since  we  have  been  preparing  this  history, 
we  found  the  first  statement,  made  by  Joseph  Cun- 
ningham, also  statements  made  by  T.  C.  Hatch  and 
John  S.  Parke,  of  Company  B,  in  each  of  which  the 
leading  features  of  the  situation  at  the  battle  of  Frank- 
lin, and  the  part  performed  by  the  73d,  are  set  forth 
substantially  the  same  as  in  all  other  statements  here- 
in. Sergeant  Parke  says  : 

“ When  Hood  made  his  impetuous  charge,  the  73d  was  lying 
in  rear  of  the  Carter  house.  The  44th  Missouri  broke,  and  came 
running  to  the  rear  through  our  lines.  One  of  Company  B,  Ben 
Opdycke  (no  relation  to  the  colonel),  said  : ‘ Let’s  stop  this  stam- 
pede.’ With  that  the  regiment  started  for  the  front  without  regu- 
lar formation.” 

T.  C.  Hatch  says,  in  recounting  the  work  of  the  73d 
at  Franklin,  that  he  did  not  know  what  the  balance  of 
the  army  was  doing  at  the  same  time,  but  expresses 
the  opinion  that  all  who  remained  in  or  about  the  works 
did  their  best. 

Harlin  P.  Tuthill,  of  Company  K,  has  furnished  a 
statement  on  the  Columbia-Franklin  campaign,  too 
late  for  insertion  in  proper  place,  in  the  sixth  chapter. 
According  to  said  statement,  we  remained  at  or  near 
Columbia  one  or  two  days,  and  built  breastworks.  The 
73d  was  in  the  advance  on  the  march  to  Spring  Hill. 


644 


FRANKLIN  AGAIN. 


We  reached  Spring  Hill  some  time  after  noon,  November 
29th,  and  left  there  early  next  morning  for  Franklin. 

Our  regiment  was  a part  of  the  rear  guard,  and 
marched,  or  fell  back,  in  line  of  battle  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  way  to  Franklin.  At  about  four  o’clock  P.  M., 
were  ordered  to  retake  the  works  that  had  been  sur- 
rendered. On  the  way  up  to  the  works.  Comrade 
Tuthill  was  shot  through  the  leg,  and  afterwards  made 
his  way  across  the  river,  was  put  in  an  ambulance,  and 
reached  Nashville  before  morning  of  December  1,  1864. 
The  73d  had  stacked  arms  some  distance  in  the  rear 
of  line  of  works  for  the  purpose  of  cooking  supper,  not 
having  had  an  opportunity  to  cook  anything  since  the 
night  before,  and  were  then  ordered  by  Major  Mothers- 
paw  to  recapture  the  section  of  the  works  near  the 
turnpike.  On  the  way  we  encountered  hundreds  of 
new  recruits  (new  clothes)  running  back.  After  over- 
coming these  and  other  obstructions,  the  works  were 
recovered  and  held  until  our  forces  voluntarily  relin- 
quished them. 

Comrade  Tuthill  adds  the  following : 

“George  Outman  was  the  first  man  of  Company  K killed. 
He  was  killed  in  the  railroad  cut,  at  Stone  Kiver,  December  31, 
1862.  Levi  Crews  was  the  last  one  killed,  being  killed  at  Resaca, 
May  14,  1864.” 

Company  K escaped  remarkably  well  during  the 
year  1864,  the  foregoing  statement  being  true.  The 
statement  continues  : 

“ At  Chickamauga,  Company  K had  thirty  men  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  second  day ; in  a few  minutes’  time  it  had  seven  men 
killed,  seven  wounded,  and  four  captured,  mustering  only  twelve 
men  at  the  next  roll-call.  I was  shot  in  the  foot  on  the  retreat 
across  the  open  field.  After  reaching  the  woods,  found  an  ambu- 


PREACHER  REGIMENTP 


645 


lance.  Lieutenant  Bailey,  of  Company  B,  and  myself  got  in  it, 
and,  on  invitation,  Pat  Sweeny,  of  Company  G,  got  out  and  dis- 
appeared too  quickly,  ambulance  driver  having  one  dead  and  two 
living  passengers.  Left  for  Chattanooga,  arriving  there  during  the 
night ; were  moved  next  day  across  the  river  to  field  hospital,  and 
later  were  sent  across  the  mountains  in  army-wagons  to  Bridge- 
port, where  we  took  the  train  for  Nashville.” 

HOW  THE  SEVENTY-THIRD  BE'CAME  KNOWN  AS 
THE  “PREACHER  REGIMENT.” 

In  September,  1862,  the  following  communication 
appeared  in  the  Cincinnati  Commercial^  and  was  copied 
into  nearly  every  paper  in  the  United  States,  thus 
spreading  widely  the  fame  of  the  73d  Illinois.  It  was 
written  by  Henry  A.  Castle,  then  adjutant’s  clerk,  after- 
ward sergeant-major: 

“ Covington,  Kentucky,  September  17,  1862. 

“ Mr.  Editor, — The  following  is  a list  of  the  field  officers  and 
captains  of  the  73d  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers,  known  at 
home  as  the  “ Methodist  Preacher  Regiment,”  now  stationed  at 
Camp  Russell,  in  the  suburbs  of  Covington : 

“ Colonel. — Rev.  James  F.  Jaquess,  D.  D.,  late  president  of 
Quincy  College. 

“ Lieutenant- Colonel. — Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Northcott. 

Major. — Rev.  Wm.  A.  Presson. 

Captains. — Company  A,  Wm.  E.  Smith;  Company  B,  Rev. 
W.  B.  M.  Colt;  Company  C,  Rev.  P.  McNutt;  Company  D,  Thos. 
Motherspaw ; Company  E,  Wilson  Burroughs ; Company  F,  Rev. 
Geo.  W.  Montgomery ; Company  G,  John  Sutton ; Company  H, 
Rev.  Jas.  I.  Davidson ; Company  I,  Rev.  Peter  Wallace ; Com- 
pany K,  Rev.  R.  H.  Laughlin. 

“ Six  or  seven  of  the  twenty  lieutenants  are  also  licensed  Meth- 
odist preachers.  Being  thus  officered,  you  may  rest  assured  we 
are  a good  set  of  boys.  H.  A.  C.” 

“ PERSIMMON  REGIMENT.” 

It  was  while  on  the  march  from  Crab  Orchard  to 
Nashville,  and  later  at  Mill  Creek  in  the  fall  of  1862, 


646 


^^PERSIMMON  REGIMENTS 


that  the  73d  displayed  an  unusual  fondness  for  per- 
simmons— ripe  ones.  At  the  end  of  a hard  march,  near 
the  close  of  day,  if  a persimmon-grove  was  anywhere 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  bivouac,  everything,  the  prepa- 
rations for  coffee  and  a night’s  rest,  was  subordinated 
by  many  of  the  regiment  to  the  raid  on  the  persim- 
mon-patch. The  2d  Missouri,  likewise,  had  a ^‘han-' 
kering”  for  rails.  At  one  time  and  place.  Colonel 
Laiboldt  grew  a little  impatient  and  restless  while  wit- 
nessing, and  at  the  same  time  endeavoring  to  restrain, 
the  efforts  of  the  two  regiments  to  gratify  their  respect- 
ive longings  mentioned  above.  He  declared  with 
emphasis  that  if  there  was  a pile  of  rails  and  a per- 
simmon-tree in  the  public  square  of  Richmond  (Va.), 
he  could  take  the  2d  Missouri  and  73d  Illinois  regi- 
ments and  capture  that  city. 

It  was  in  this  way,  manifesting  this  fondness  for 
persimmons — ripe  persimmons — that  the  73d  gained  the 
soubriquet  of  Persimmon  Regiment.” 

NAMES  OF  PERSONS  NOT  MEMBERS  OF  THE  SEVENTY- 
THIRD,  WHO  WERE  PATRONS  OF  THIS  HISTORY  IN 
ADVANCE  OF  PUBLICATION. 

Charles  Allinger,  2d  Missouri  Infantry,  Fond  du 
Lac,  Wis. ; Arthur  MacArthur,  24th  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
Washington,  D.  C. ; Henry  F.  Reuter,  2d  Missouri 
Infantry,  Nashville,  111. ; August  F.  Taubert,  44th  Illi- 
nois, Pekin,  111. ; Olive  Newlin,  Danville,  111. ; Mrs. 
S.  W.  Cook,  Evansville,  Ind.;  W.  H.  Hodge,  J.  P., 
Rushville,  111. ; G.  W.  Oliver,  Griggsville,  111. ; Mrs. 
C.  M.  Harrington,  Griggsville,  111. ; Mrs.  Job  Clark, 
Perry,  111. ; Mrs.  Lizzie  E.  Kyger,  Danville,  111. ; C.  M. 
Simmons,  137th  Illinois  Infantry,  Griggsville,  111.;  H. 
Evans,  Wm.  Bradbury,  J.  M.  Browning,  J.  Shastid, 


NAMES  OF  PATRONS, 


647 


James  Whittaker,  John  Wicha,  Perry,  111. ; General 
John  McNulta,  94th  Illinois  Infantry,  Chicago,  111. ; 
Thos.  B.  Holt,  4th  Illinois  Cavalry,  Pekin,  111. ; Captain 
A.  Behrens,  Chris.  Frederick,  44th  Illinois  Infantry, 
Pekiii,  III. ; H.  C.  Smith,  Ex-M.  C.,  8th  Illinois  Infantry, 
Pekin,  111. ; E.  F.  Unlan,  Ex-Member  Illinois  General 
Assembly,  8th  Illinois  Infantry,  Pekin,  111.  ; Mrs.  Edwin  ' 
Nichols,  Delavan,  111. ; Mrs.  J.  B.  Baylor,  Fair  bury.  111. ; 
Hiram  H.  Ashmore,  Chaplain,  25th  Illinois  Infantry, 
Peoria,  111.;  John  Trowbridge,  Lewis  H.  Burns,  Green 
Valley,  Illinois  ; George  Little,  Mrs.  Sarah  G.  Wright, 
J.  G.  Noland,  Rushville,  III. ; Miss  Lucy  Young,  Bloom- 
field, Iowa;  Anna  E.  Dean,  Griggsville,  111.;  E.  C. 
Bradbury,  Conway,  Kan.  ; H.  H.  Brengleman,  Thomas 
Boothby,  Perry,  111.;  Lewis  Brown,  B.  Taylor,  Delavan, 
111. ; Dennis  Turpin,  James  F.  Turpin,  James  M.  Hur- 
ley, Ephraim  Hurley,  Loarni,  111.  ; Thomas  Osborne, 
13th  Kentucky  Infantry,  Loami,  111.  ; James  M.  Hawas, 
16th  Illinois  Cavalry,  Loami,  111.  ; R.  L.  Underwood, 
Perry,  111.;  Clarinda  Olin,  McLean,  111.;  F.  S.  Halliday, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

NAMES  AND  POST-OFFICES  OF  SURVIVING  COMRADES  OF 
THE  SEVENTY-THIRD,  AS  FAR  AS  KNOWN  OR 
REPORTED. 

Field  and  Staff. — James  F.  Jaquess,  London,  Eng., 
(January,  1890),  Tunica,  Miss. ; William  A.  Presson, 
Yuma,  Col. ; Wilson  Burroughs,  Fairmount,  111. ; George 
0.  Pond,  Camp  Point,  111. ; Robert  E.  Stephenson, 
Olathe,  Kan. ; James  W.  L.  Slavens,  Kansas  City,  Mo. ; 
Richard  R.  Randall,  Lincoln,  Neb. ; Isaac  N.  Jaquess, 
Mt.  Carmel,  111.;  Henry  A.  Castle,  St.  Paul,  Minn.; 
Robert  J.  Alexander,  Mound  City,  Kan. ; Riley  M. 
Hoskinson,  Port  Blakeley,  Washington  ; Joseph  0.  Joy, 


648 


POST-OFFICE  ADDRESSES  OF  SURVIVORS. 


Loami,  111.  ; John  W.  Rush,  Lamar,  Mo. ; Benj.  F.  North- 
cott,  Linneus,  Mo. 

Company  A. — Richard  Baker,  Mechanicsburg,  111.; 
William  S.  Bullard,  Mechanicsburg,  111.  ; William  II. 
Bullard,  Olena,  Ark. ; Emanuel  Cross,  Mechanicsburg, 
111. ; David  C.  Fletcher,  Mechanicsburg,  111. ; Thomas 
’ W.  Fortune,  Springfield,  111. ; Harrison  P.  Hampton, 
Illiopolis,  111.  ; Preston  B.  Hampton,  Niles,  Kan. ; Jere. 
C.  Ham,  Stonington,  111.;  John  L.  Hesser,  Riverton, 
111.;  Jesse  Humphrey,  Niantic,  111.;  Eli  Huckleberry, 
Illiopolis,  111. ; John  S.  Kizer,  Niantic,  111.  ; Pierson  H. 
Kizer,  Mechanicsburg,  111. ; A.  B.  Hiatt,  Belleflower, 
111.;  Joel  Hudson,  Lenora,  Kan.  ; John  Marion,  Me- 
chanicsburg, 111. ; Andrew  McGath,  Mechanicsburg,  111. ; 
Robert  McCurdy,  Niles,  Kan. ; William  W.  Meredith, 
Severy,  Kan. ; Richard  Oliver,  Niantic,  111.  ; Samuel  F. 
Ridgway,  Springfield,  111. ; Thomas  Underwood,  Daw- 
son, 111. ; William  Morgan  Thaler,  Palmyra,  Neb.  ; Ira 
J.  Morgan,  Holliday,  111. ; Henry  M.  Cass,  Holden, 
Mo.;  William  H.  Maxwell,  Millersville,  111. 

Company  B. — Harvey  Pratt,  98  Turner  Avenue, 
Chicago,  111. ; David  F.  Lawler,  Green  Valley,  111. ; 
Thomas  J.  Frazee,  Green  Valley,  111. ; Thomas  J.  Cas- 
saday,  Green  Valley,  111. ; James  W,  Mundy,  Lincoln, 
111. ; Erastus  R.  Mundy,  Broadwell,  111. ; William  H. 
McNichols,  Nokomis,  111. ; Charles  W.  McNichols, 
Oconee,  111. ; Benjamin  F.  Miller,  Armington,  111. ; Cal- 
vin F.  Randolph,  Danvers,  111. ; Wm.  B.  Ward,  Fair- 
bury,  111. ; Darius  Baylor,  Gibson  City,  111.  ; William 
A.  Jacobus,  Burt  Newman,  William  Moorhead,  Robert 
J.  Patterson,  Delavan,  111. ; DaAud  W.  Alexander,  Mound 
City,  Kan. ; Alfred  A.  Holmes,  Ellis  Day,  Hiawatha, 
Kan.;  Benj.  Opedyke,  Randolph,  Mo. ; Jesse  Holt,  Baker, 


POST-OFFICE  ADDRESSES  OF  SURVIVORS.  649 


Kan.;  Daniel  Boyden,  Eldorado,  Kan.;  Joel  H.  Buck- 
man,  Lyndon,  Kan.;  Ira  L.  Lamphere,  Los  Angeles, 
Cal. ; DeWitt  R.  Gooch,  Belleflower,  111. ; Thomas  C. 
Hatch,  Holdredge,  Neb.  ; Marshall  Brown,  Say  brook, 
111. ; Cyrus  M.  Bailey,  Fairbury,  Neb. ; Thomas  J. 
Wakefield,  Anson,  Kan.  ; Jno.  S.  Parke,  St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
George  W.  Ohmart,  Palmyra,  Neb. ; Daniel  J.  Reid, 
Altamont,  Kan.  ; Thomas  A.  Martin,  Smithfield,  Mo. ; 
Martin  L.  Freeman,  Neligh,  Neb. ; John  W.  Holt,  Oak- 
wood,  Kan. ; Thomas  P.  Wright,  Almena,  Kan. ; Simon 
P.  Bell,  Olney,  111. ; Alexis  F.  Cahow,  Amite  City,  La. ; 
Abraham  Provost,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  ; James  Wakefield, 
Clinton,  111. ; Noah  Drake,  Plainfield,  N.  J. ; John  H. 
Long,  Colorado  Springs,  Col. ; Chas.  L.  Gale,  Chicago, 
111. ; Marion  McCormack,  McLean,  111. ; Daniel  W.  Dil- 
lon, Peoria,  111. ; David  H.  Palmer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. ; 
Henry  Miller,  Petersburg,  111. 

Company  C. — Mark  D.  Hawes,  Decatur,  111. ; Wm. 
R.  Lawrence,  Danville,  111.;  Wm.  H.  Newlin,  Spring- 
field,  111. ; Richard  N.  Davies,  Delavan,  111. ; Samuel 
J.  Boen,  Eugene,  Ind. ; David  McDonald,  Georgetown, 
111.;  Carey  A.  Savage,  Danville,  111.;  William  0.  Un- 
deiAvood,  Ilnionville,  Mo. ; William  B.  Cowan,  Ridge 
Farm,  111.  ; John  Braselton,  Georgetown,  111. ; Enoch 
Braselton,  Georgetown,  111.  ; Nathan  Brady,  George- 
town, 111. ; Clark  B.  Brant,  Danville,  111. ; Robert  W. 
Cowan,  Georgetown,  111.  ; Jonathan  Ellis,  Quaker  Hill, 
Ind.;  Benjamin  F.  Edmonds,  Georgetown,  III.;  Hen- 
derson Goodwin,  Indianola,  111. ; Henry  C.  Henderson, 
Humerick,  111.  ; Austin  Henderson,  Homer,  111. ; Thos. 
Judd,  Cuba,  111. ; Jehu  Lewis,  Georgetown,  111.  ; Thos. 
E.  Madden,  Georgetown,  111.  ; Isaac  R.  Thornton, 
Georgetown,  111. ; Francis  M.  Stevens,  Grape  Creek,  111.  ; 


650 


SE  VENT  Y-  THIRD  IL  LINOIS  S UR  VIVORS. 


Jas.  P.  Slaughter,  Logan,  111.  ; Jno.  Trimble,  Blooming- 
dale,  111.;  Jas.  Trimble,  Slater, Mo. ; Isaac  H.  Thompson, 
Bidge  Farm,  111. ; Jno.  Bostwick,  Bidge  Farm,  111. ; Wm. 
B.  Cook,  Alma,  Ark. ; Geo.  Hollingsworth,  Bidge  Farm, 
111. ; James  E.  Moore,  La  Cygne,  Kan. ; Benj.  Purdum, 
Bidge  Farm,  111. ; Stephen  Newlin,  Georgetown,  111. ; 
Alex.  C.  Nicholson,  Paxton,  111.  ; Bobert  J.  Hasty, 
Newport,  Ind. ; Wm.  M.  Sheets,  Georgetown,  111.;  Al- 
fred E.  Lewis,  Georgetown,  111. ; Wesley  Bishop,  Bidge 
Farm,  111.  ; John  M.  Thompson,  Palermo,  111.  ; James 
T.  Maudlin,  Mound  Valley,  Kan. ; David  W.  Doop, 
Cherryvale,  Kan. ; John  Doop,  Cherryvale,  Kan. ; Pleas. 
B.  Huffman,  Manchester,  111. ; Thomas  T.  Ashmore,  In- 
dianola.  111.;  William  D.  Bales,  Oakwood,  111. ; William 
Cook,  St.  Joseph,  111. ; Nathaniel  Henderson,  Sweet 
Water,  Neb.;  William  Martin,  Arkansas  City,  Kan.; 
George  W.  Martin,  Arkansas  City,  Kan. 

Company  D. — Jonas  Jones,  Monticello,  111.;  James 
H.  Piper,  Monticello,  111. ; John  M.  Albert,  Monticello, 
III.;  John  Musselinan,  Argenta,  111.;  John  T.  Talbert, 
Monticello,  111. ; William  D.  Coffin,  Bernent,  111. ; Wm. 
Knowles,  Bernent,  111. ; Jonas  B.  Garver,  Deland,  111. ; 
Edward  Williamson,  Deland,  111. ; Samuel  B.  Garver, 
Farmer  City,  111.  ; John  C.  E.  McMillan,  Bussell  Springs, 
Kan. ; Allen  Heath,  Humboldt,  Kan. ; Stephen  Vail, 
North  Topeka,  Kan.  ; Lucian  Langdon,  Girard,  Kan. ; 
Elias  M.  Miller,  Belle  Plain,  Kan. ; Bichard  M.  Sturm, 
Eugene,  Ind. ; William  H.  Secrist,  Boscoe,  Mo. ; Ira 
Knapp,  Boscoe,  Mo. ; Elishman  Brady,  Cham[)aign, 
111. ; Allen  Wiley,  Bloomington,  111. ; Leonard  McCar- 
dle,  Beecher  City,  111. ; John  H.  Weddle,  Cisco,  111. ; 
Harry  M.  Alvord,  Mansfield,  0. ; James  W.  Hold,  Ida 
Grove,  la.;  William  J.  Long,  Carrollton,  Neb.;  Bichard 


SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS  SURVIVORS. 


651 


S.  Hopkins,  Buffalo,  Wyoming;  James  Y.  Abnett, 
Monticello,  111. ; Robert  Newton,  Mansfield,  111. ; John 
Reynolds,  Perris,  Cal. 

Company  E. — Amos  B.  Barker,  Fairmount,  111. ; Reu- 
ben Jack,  Fairmount,  111. ; Charles  Tilton,  Fairmount, 
111. ; Edwin  Robertson,  Fairmount,  111. ; John  Quinn, 
Fairmount,  111. ; Thomas  E.  Busby,  Catlin,  111.  ; Aaron 
Dolbey,  Homer,  111. ; Hilkiah  F.  Meharry,  Danville, 
111. ; Joseph  L.  Catlett,  Sided,  111. ; Sampson  McCool, 
Ridge  Farm,  111.  ; William  McCool,  Ridge  Farm,  111. ; 
Silas  M.  Busby,  Ridge  Farm,  111.  ; Benjamin  F.  Kirk- 
ley,  Paxton,  111.;  George  Ward,  Monticello,  111.;  John 
L.  Moore,  Leon,  Kan. ; David  Blosser,  Holton,  Kan. ; 
Townsend  Hendrickson,  Scranton,  South  Dakota;  Le- 
Grand  J.  Place,  Newport,  Ind.  ; Butler  Presson,  Bea- 
trice, Neb. ; George  McCully,  Bell  wood.  Neb. ; Patrick 
Martin,  Vandercook,  111. ; William  J.  Moore,  George- 
town, 111. ; William  H.  Busby,  Hebron,  la.  ; Cyrus  J. 
Timmons,  Urbana,  111.;  Joseph  McBroom,  Oakwood, 
111. ; William  B.  Taylor,  New  Salem,  Kan. ; George  E. 
Harvey,  Selma,  Kan. ; Charles  Harvey,  Lincoln,  Mo. ; 
John  W.  Dutton,  Washington,  D.  C. ; Geo.  J.  Harrier, 
Grape  Creek,  111. 

Company  F.  — George  Dudney,  Tecumseh,  Kan. ; 
George  H.  McKinnie,  Beloit,  Kan. ; Jacob  Spivey,  Min- 
neapolis, Kan.;  Johnson  W.  Wright,  Springfield,  111.; 
Ezra  D.  McMasters,  Lincoln,  111. ; James  P.  Stone, 
Lincoln,  111.;  Edward  W.  Bennett,  Carbondale,  111.; 
John  Spindler,  Paxton,  111.;  Charles  W.  Keeley,  El- 
dred.  111.;  Nelson  G.  Davis,  New  Holland,  111. ; Newton 
S.  Dunn,  New  Holland,  111. ; William  Shaner,  Middle- 
town,  111.;  Wm.  Boyer,  Middletown,  111. ; Peter  Boyer, 
Middletown,  111. ; Dennis  Barrick,  Middletown,  111.  ; 


652 


SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS  SURVIVORS. 


Robert  Weaver,  Middletown,  111.;  Jonathan  C.  Lloyd, 
Middletown,  111. ; William  Barrick,  Sedalia,  Mo. ; Mark 
S.  Gordon,  Broadwell,  111. ; Henry  B.  Dove,  Broadwell, 
111. ; William  H.  Van  Meter,  Elkhart,  111. ; Benjamin  II. 
Hunt,  Rankin,  111. ; Marion  McGarvey,  Roodhouse,  111. ; 
Jesse  L.  Kinney,  Schuyler,  Neb.;  John  Stollard,  Teka- 
rnah,  Neb.;  Benj.  F.  Morris,  Western,  Neb.;  Berry 
Hobbs,  Edgar,  Neb. ; Francis  A.  Craig,  Central  City, 
Neb.;  Joseph  A.  Davidson,  Riverton,  Neb.;  James  R. 
Henderson,  Dawson,  Neb.;  Allen  W.  Broddess,  Deca- 
tur, 111.;  James  J.  Boland,  Chester,  111.;  Wesley  Long, 
Atlanta,  111. ; Harvey  Eisenminger,  Hutchinson,  Kan. ; 
Joseph  B.  Thompson,  Denver,  Col.  ; Abijah  Anderson, 
Trenton,  N.  J. ; Henry  Schasteen,  Mound  City,  Kan. ; 
Samuel  Burkett,  Marion,  la. ; Archibald  Thompson, 
Eve,  Mo. 

Company  G. — Ezekiel  J.  Ingersoll,  Carbondale,  111. ; 
John  E.  Seward,  Industry,  111.  ; Karl  Yapp,  Industry, 
111.;  Harris  A.  Vanorder,  Rushville,  111.;  Jasper  Hooker, 
Rushville,  111.  ; Stillman  Stout,  Rushville,  111. ; Fred- 
erick Glossop,  Rushville,  111. ; George  W.  Vanorder, 
Rushville,  111. ; John  H.  McGrath,  Doddsville,  111. ; 
Stuart  F.  Hoskinson,  Blakeley,  Wash.  ; Joseph  Cun- 
ningham, Conway,  Mo.  ; Joseph  Vannattan,  Springfield, 
111. ; Norman  A.  Vannattan,  Springfield,  111.  ; Thomas 
Horton,  Industry,  111.  ; James  F.  Tolle,  Trenton,  Mo. ; 
William  T.  Purnell,  Trenton,  Mo.  ; James  Hagle,  Sa- 
betha,  Kan.;  Peter  H.  K.  Colt,  Lincoln,  Neb.;  Louis 
Day,  Upland,  Neb.;  Win.  H.  Dimmick,  Ludell,  Kan.; 
John  W.  Worthbaugh,  Clarks,  Neb.;  John  W.  Dough- 
erty, Carthage,  111. ; George  Swackhammer,  Montrose, 
Mo.  ; John  Swackhammer,  Montrose,  Mo. ; William  H. 
Blackley,  Ripley,  111. ; Josiah  Emery,  Soldiers’  Home, 


SEVENTY-THIRD  ILLINOIS  SURVIVORS. 


65S 


Minnehaha,  Minn.;  Jacob  C.  Welcome,  Burns,  Greg.; 
Wm.  T.  Talbott,  Astoria,  111.;  James  W.  Davis,  Muscle 
Fork,  Mo. ; William  H.  Dodge,  Marshall,  Mich. 

Company  H. — Joseph  L.  Morgan,  Quincy,  111.  ; James 
B.  Wolgemuth,  Pierre,  So.  Dakota;  John  W.  Sherrick, 
Camp  Point,  111. ; Jno.  M.  Mull,  Bradfordton,  111. ; Hiram 
Evans,  Quincy,  111. ; Jos.  Firestone,  Big  Neck,  III. ; John 
Hedges,  Pana,  111.;  Jas.  Hedges,  Rosamond,  111.  ; John 
Yelliott,  Milton,  111.  ; James  Anthony,  Griggsville,  111. ; 
Wm.  Anthony,  Griggsville, 111.;  Chas.  Bickerdike,  Griggs- 
ville, 111.  ; James  Bickerdike,  Griggsville,  111. ; Francis 
A.  Phillips,  Griggsville,  111. ; Giles  H.  Penstone,  Griggs- 
villa.  111. ; Edwin  McCallister,  Griggsville,  111.  ; William 
H.  Wilson,  Perry,  111.;  John  J.  Goullee,  New  Florence, 
Mo.;  James  Lancaster,  Mt.  Sterling,  la.;  DeWitt  C. 
Simmons,  Salem,  Neb. ; William  G.  Jaquess,  Tunica, 
Miss. ; Joseph  D.  Cawthon,  Kingston,  Mo. ; Martin 
Culler,  Little  Indian,  111. ; Smith  Hist,  Little  Indian, 
111. ; Jesse  B.  Newport,  Girard,  Kan.  ; Archibald  Good- 
win, Girard,  Kan.;  Isaac  Lytle,  Arcadia,  Kan. ; Simeon 
Baldwin,  Parsons,  Kan.;  Alpheus  Winegar,  Lenerxa, 
Kan. ; Joshua  Duran,  Carlinville,  Mo. ; Geo.  Y.  John- 
son, Willis,  Kan.;  James  McKnight,  Barnard,  Mo.; 
Edward  Penstone,  Pittsfield,  111. 

Company  I' — George  W.  Patten,  St.  Elmo,  Tenn. ; 
Peter  Wallace,  Clinton,  111. ; James  M.  Turpin,  Loami, 
III.;  William  E.  Joy,  Loami,  111.;  Calvin  J.  Hinman, 
Loami,  111.;  James  M.  Joy,  Waverly,  111. ; Adna  Phelps, 
Springfield,  111.  ; John  F.  Drennan,  Auburn,  111.;  Jas. 
W.  Osborne,  Auburn,  111. ; Wm.  M.  Corzine,  Auburn, 
111. ; John  N.  Williams,  Auburn,  111. ; John  C.  Clower, 
Zenobia,  111. ; Wm.  Fortner,  Breckinridge,  111. ; Francis 
M.  Kelley,  Morrisonville,  111.;  Robert  N.  S.  Barger, 


654 


THE  OFFICIAL  RECORD. 


Hopedale,  111. ; Alex.  C.  Rea,  Sigel,  111.  ; Alex.  M. 
Cassity,  Taylorville,  111.  ; Edward  S.  Turner,  Trumbull, 
Neb.;  Wiley  W.  Fortner,  Slater,  Mo.;  Thos.  N.  Baker, 
Le  Loup,  Kan.;  John  W.  Fisher,  Arthur,  111.;  Lucius 
F.  Gould,  Folsom,  Cal.;  Richard  R.  Roberts,  Longton, 
Kan.;  Chauncey  H.  Castle,  Quincy,  111.;  Hiram  T. 
Coffman,  Mason  City,  Neb.;  James  B.  Remington,  Na- 
tional Military  Home,  0. ; Charles  R.  Campbell,  Os- 
w^ego,  Kan. 

Company  K. — Wiley  Gray,  ElkAdlle,  111.  ; Benajah 
Morgan,  HeSoto,  111.;  Wm.  M.  Karnes,  Paducah,  Ky.; 
James  A.  Rice,  Harrisburg,  111. ; Reuben  W.  Laughlin, 
Benkleman,  Neb. ; Harlin  P.  Tuthill,  Anna,  111.  ; Geo. 
Kolb,  HeSoto,  111.;  George  B.  Corry,  HeSoto,  111.; 
Noah  Farner,  HeSoto,  111.;  Henry  Nosley,  HeSoto,  111. ; 
Robinson  Crews,  HeSoto,  111.  ; Alvas  Rude,  HeSoto, 
111.;  Jacob  Millhouse,  HeSoto,  111.;  Frank  Heiple,  He- 
Soto, 111.;  Samuel  Heiple,  HeSoto,  111.;  John  Heiple, 
HeSoto,  111.;  Henry  Heiple,  HeSoto,  111.;  John  W. 
Purdy,  Makanda,  111. ; Eliphaz  C.  Porter,  Vergennes, 
111. ; Benjamin  Spieth,  Honiphan,  Neb. 

WAR  RECORD. 

From  official  records  we  present  the  following,  for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  Captain  Patten,  of  St.  Elmo, 
Tennessee,  and  J.  W.  Kirkley,  of  the  War  Records 
Publication  Office,  War  Hepartment,  Washington  City, 

H.  C. 

From  Volume  XVI,  Series  I,  Part  I,  Reports,  page 
1036,  Official  Records,  War  of  the  Rebellion,  we  find 
losses  of  the  73d  Illinois  Volunteers,  at  PerryAulle,  Ken- 
tucky, October  8,  1862,  stated,  as  being  two  killed, 
thirty- three  wounded.  Total  loss,  thirty-five. 


EXTRACTS— SHERIDA^^'S  REPORT. 


655 


Page  108],  same  volume,  shows  the  following: 

“I  can  not  speak  with  too  much  praise  of  the  good  conduct  of  the 
officers  and  men  of  my  whole  division,  all  of  whom  were  engaged. 
The  new  troops  vied  with  the  old  troops  of  the  division  in  their 
coolness  and  courage.”  (Sheridan’s  report  on  Perryville.) 

Volume  XX,  Series  I,  Part  I,  page  209,  shows  losses 
of  73d  at  Stone  River  to  be  eighty-eight  in  all. 

Pages  260,  261,  same  volume,  shows  the  losses  of 
regiment  at  Stone  River  to  be  twenty-two  killed, 
fifty-two  wounded.  Total  seventy -four ; the  captured 
and  missing  not  included. 

On  page  351,  same  volume,  we  find  these  words  : 

“ I refer  with  pride  to  the  splendid  conduct,  bravery,  and  ef- 
ficiency of  the  following  regimental  commanders,  and  the  officers 
and  men  of  their  respective  commands.”  (Sheridan’s  report  on 
Stone  River.) 

Among  the  regimental  commanders  embraced  in  the 
list  is,  Major  W.  A.  Presson,  73d  Illinois,  wounded.” 

Same  volume,  page  365,  shows  the  report  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Bernard  Laiboldt,  2d  Missouri  Infantry, 
commanding  2d  Brigade  : 

“ Head- QUARTERS  Second  Brigade,  Third  Division,) 

“ Right  Wing,  January  7,  1863.  / 

“ I have  the  honor  to  submit  to  you  a report  of  the  part  taken 
by  the  brigade  I now  have  the  honor  to  command,  in  the  battle  in 
front  of  Murfreesboro : 

‘ ‘ The  brigade,  then  in  command  of  the  lamented  Colonel  Fred- 
erick Schaefer,  was  assigned  position  as  reserve  of  the  third  divis- 
ion, on  December  30th,  and  took  no  part  in  the  engagement  on  the 
left  on  that  day. 

“ Shortly  after  daybreak  next  morning,  December  31st,  Colonel 
Schaefer  received  orders  to  re-enforce  General  Sill’s  brigade  with 
tw^o  regiments,  and  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers  and  44th  Illinois 
Volunteers,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Weber,  of  the 
15th  Missouri  Volunteers,  were  accordingly  sent  to  General  Sill, 


656 


LAIBOLDT— STONE  RIVER, 


with  orders  to  report  to  him  for  duty.  The  2d  Battalion  of  the 
73d  Illinois  Volunteers,  under  command  of  Major  Presson,  was 
detached  to  protect  Captain  Hescock’s  battery,  while  the  other  bat- 
talion of  the  73d  Illinois  Volunteers  and  the  2d  Missouri  Volun- 
teers were  held  in  reserve. 

“The  15th  Missouri  Volunteers,  and  the  44th  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers had  a position  assigned  to  them  about  thirty  yards  in 
rear  of  General  Sill’s  brigade,  when,  after  a short  interval,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Weber  received  orders  to  advance  in  double- 
quick.  The  order  was  promptly  executed,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Weber  found  himself  in  front  of  the  enemy,  the  artillery 
previously  stationed  there  having  retreated,  leaving  one  Parrott 
gun,  supposed  to  belong  to  Carpenter’s  battery,  Davis’s  division, 
behind.  The  two  regiments  mentioned  kept  up  a strong  firing; 
and  even  when  one  regiment  on  their  left  broke  and  ran,  they  held 
their  position  until  attacked  from  the  flank  and  front  at  once. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  AVeber  then  retreated  in  good  order,  keeping 
up  a constant  firing,  until,  being  heavily  pressed  by  the  enemy,  he 
reached  a corn-field,  where  he  halted. 

“ Soon  afterwards  our  troops  on  the  left  advanced  again  on  the 
enemy,  when  Lieutenant-Colonel  AVeber  also  rapidly  advanced  to  a 
place  about  fifty  yards  in  advance  of  his  previous  position,  and 
formed  in  line  of  battle.  He  had  the  gun  above  referred  to 
dragged  by  his  men  to  the  rear  of  his  column,  from  where  it  after- 
ward was  removed  to  a safer  place.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Weber  con- 
tested his  ground  admirably  until  the  enemy  advanced  six  columns 
deep,  and  the  ammunition  of  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers  gave 
out;  the  44th  Illinois  Volunteers  having  previously  withdrawn. 
Then  the  order  to  retreat  was  given  and  carried  out  without  im- 
proper haste,  until  the  edge  of  the  timber  was  reached,  when  the 
pressure  by  the  enemy  was  so  hard,  that  it  became  necessary  to 
resort  to  the  double-quick. 

“By  the  time  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers  and  44th  Illinois 
Volunteers  rejoined  the  brigade,  orders  were  given  to  retreat  across 
the  pike  toward  a piece  of  cedar  woods,  and  two  companies  of  the 
2d  Missouri  Volunteers  were  deployed  as  skirmishers  to  retard  the 
rapid  advance  of  the  enemy. 

“The  whole  brigade,  with  the  exception  of  the  1st  Battalion  of 
the  73d  Illinois  Volunteers,  under  temporary  command  of  Captain 
Bergan,  and  being  a short  distance  from  the  main  body,  arrived 


OFFICIAL-STONE  RIVER. 


657 


safely  at  the  woods  above  mentioned,  at  the  edge  of  which  the 
2d  Missouri  Volunteers,  behind  natural  and  very  favorable  for- 
tifications of  huge  and  deeply  cut  rocks,  opened  a brisk  fire 
on  the  enemy,  which  kept  him  at  bay  for  a considerable  length 
of  time. 

“The  first  Battalion  of  the  73d  Illinois  Volunteers  was  at  the 
same  time  attacked  by  the  enemy,  but  repulsed  them.  When  in 
the  attempt  to  join  the  brigade,  the  battalion  was,  by  the  advance 
of  General  Rousseau,  separated,  but,  keeping  up  a constant  firing, 
crossed  the  pike  and  took  a position  in  the  cedar  grove.  Here 
Captain  Bergan,  commanding  the  battalion,  withstood  three  dif- 
ferent charges  of  a whole  rebel  cavalry  brigade,  and  was  shortly 
afterward  enabled  to  join  his  brigade. 

“ By  this  time  the  ammunition  of  the  2d  Missouri  Volunteers 
had  given  out,  as  well  as  that  of  the  rest  of  the  brigade,  and  they 
were  ordered  into  the  thicket  of  the  cedar  grove.  After  the  lapse 
of  one  hour,  the  brigade  was  enabled  to  receive  ammunition,  and 
had  a new  position  assigned  to  them  on  the  Chattanooga  Railroad. 
Colonel  Schaefer  ordered  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers  to  deploy 
in  a corn-field,  while  the  balance  of  the  brigade  held  the  railroad, 
and  kept  up  such  a galling  and  well-aimed  fire,  that  the  enemy, 
though  of  a strength  to  which  our  force  was  hardly  comparable, 
and  fighting  with  the  utmost  desperation,  was  again  and  again 
repulsed. 

“ The  15th  Missouri  Volunteers,  being  in  danger  of  being  out- 
flanked, retreated  toward  the  position  of  the  brigade,  and  it  was 
at  that  moment,  when  about  giving  orders  to  said  regiment,  that 
the  true  soldier  and  brave  man,  my  lamented  predecessor.  Colonel 
Frederick  Schaefer,  fell.  By  order  of  General  Sheridan,  I assumed 
forthwith  the  command  of  the  brigade,  the  36th  Illinois  Volun- 
teers, commanded  by  Captain  Olson,  having  been  attached  to  it; 
and,  after  taking  up  another  favorable  position  on  the  line  of  the 
railroad,  I was  enabled  to  hold  the  enemy  in  check  in  spite  of  his 
desperate  endeavors  until  night  broke  in,  and  the  bloody  drama  of 
that  day  was  ended. 

“On  January  1,  1863,  at  two  A.  M.,  my  brigade  was  ordered 
to  take  a position  in  front  of  an  open  field,  edged  by  heavy  timber, 
and  I had,  as  soon  as  daylight  permitted,  heavy  breastworks  erected 
along  the  whole  front  I was  to  protect,  and,  keeping  a vigilant  look- 
out, I held  that  position  until  January  6th,  when  I was  ordered  to 
advance  to  the  present  camp.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  brigade 

42 


658 


CHA TTANOOG A— RINGGOLD  CAMRAIGN. 


all  behaved  as  would  naturally  be  expected  of  veteran  soldiers  who 
have  heretofore  earned  the  highest  praise  for  their  bravery  and 
gallantry,  and  to  enumerate  single  ones  would  hardly  be  in  justice 
to  the  balance. 

“ Among  those  who  laid  down  their  lives  for  our  holy  cause,  I 
particularly  lament  Captain  Zimmerman  and  Lieutenants  Kellner 
and  Quintzius,  of  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers;  Captain  Alsop, 
of  the  73d  Illinois  Volunteers;  Captain  Hosmer,  of  the  44th  Illi- 
nois Volunteers ; Lieutenant  Taliaferro,  of  the  1st  Missouri  Artil- 
lery. May  their  relatives  find  a consolation,  as  their  comrades  do, 
in  the  thought  that  the  death  on  the  battle-field  for  the  righteous 
cause  wins  immortal  laurels  for  the  slain ! 

“ I can  not  omit  to  mention  Captain  Hescock’s  battery,  which, 
on  December  31st,  as  oftentimes  before,  did  splendid  execution. 
The  skill  and  bravery  of  its  officers  is  almost  proverbial,  and  need 
not  be  further  commented  on  by  me  than  to  express  my  heartiest 
gratification  that  they  stood  by  me  as  formerly,  with  right  good- 
will and  telling  courage.  Inclosed,  I have  the  honor  to  transmit  a 
list  of  the  causalties  in  my  brigade. 

“ I am  sir,  your  obedient  servant,  R.  Laiboldt, 

“Lieutenant-Colonel  2d  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  commanding 
“ 2d  Brigade,  3d  Division,  right  wing. 

“ First  Lieutenant  George  Lee, 

“Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  3d  Division.” 

The  report  of  Colonel  Francis  T.  Sherman,  com- 
manding 1st  Brigade,  2d  Division,  4th  Army  Corps,  on 
the  Chattanooga,  Ringgold  campaign,  covering  Novem- 
ber 23-27,  1863,  showeth  as  follows,  in  No.  28,  Volume 
XXXI,  Part  II,  pages  194,  195,  196,  thereof: 

November  — At  four  A.  M.,  orders  were  received  to  place 

three  regiments  of  my  brigade  on  the  right  of  the  3d  Brigade  in 
prolongation  of  their  first  line,  behind  hastily  constructed  rifle- 
pits.  In  obedience  to  this  order,  the  44th  Illinois,  36th  Illinois, 
and  the  73d  Illinois,  were  thus  placed,  and  Colonel  W.  W.  Barrett, 
assigned  to  take  command  of  them,  the  88th  Illinois  and  74th 
Illinois  in  rear  as  support  to  the  above  regiments.  This  disposition 
of  the  brigade  remained  unchanged  until  twelve  noon  of  25th, 
when  the  entire  division  line  was  moved  forward  some  three  hun- 
dred yards.  The  other  regiments  of  my  brigade  were  moved  to 


MISSIONARY  RIDGE— OFFICIAL. 


659 


the  right  and  rear  of  the  line,  when  they  were  formed  in  the  fol- 
lowing order,  in  four  lines  : 

“First  line:  44th,  36th,  and  73d  Illinois,  Colonel  Barrett 
commanding. 

“ Second  line:  88th  Illinois  and  24th  Wisconsin,  Colonel  Mil- 
ler commanding. 

“Third  line:  22d  Indiana,  Colonel  Gooding  commanding. 

“Fourth  line:  2d  Missouri,  15th  Missouri,  and  74th  Illinois, 
Colonel  Laiboldt  commanding.” 

The  report  describes  the  ascent  of  Missionary  Ridge 
up  to  and  including  the  taking  of  the  enemy’s  second 
line  of  works,  then  proceeds  : 

“ Again  the  order  to  advance  was  responded  to  with  cheers, 
the  colors  borne  by  their  brave  and  gallant  bearers  taking  the 
lead,  each  bearer  wishing  to  be  the  first  to  place  the  banner  of  his 
regiment  upon  the  last  of  the  rebel  works.  Slowly  and  surely  we 
pressed  up  the  hill,  overcoming  all  obstacles,  defying  the  enemy  in 
his  efforts  to  check  our  determined  advance.  Oflicers  and  men  alike 
vied  with  each  other  in  deeds  of  gallantry  and  bravery,  cheering 
one  another  on  to  the  goal  for  which  we  were  contending.  In  this 
manner  we  gradually  worked  our  way  to  the  summit  over  the 
rugged  sides  of  the  ridge,  every  foot  being  contested  by  the  enemy. 
Rocks  were  thrown  upon  our  men  when  the  musket  ceased  to  be 
of  use,  but  to  no  purpose.  When  within  ten  yards  of  the  crest,  our 
men  seemed  to  be  thrown  forward  as  if  by  some  powerful  engine, 
and  the  old  flag  was  planted  firmly  and  surely  on  the  last  line  of 
works  of  the  enemy,  followed  by  the  men  taking  one  battery  of 
artillery.  The  battle  was  won,  and  Mission  Ridge  was  taken,  while 
the  enemy  fled  in  great  disorder  from  before  our  victorious  troops, 
who  took  whole  companies  of  the  rebels  prisoners.” 

No  claim  is  made  by  Colonel  Sherman  on  behalf  of 
his  own  regiment,  the  88th  Illinois,  that  its  colors  were 
the  first  planted  on  the  summit  of  the  ridge.  Being 
the  brigade  commander,  it  might  not  have  been  strictly 
proper  for  him  to  have  done  so,  even  if  the  facts  had 
warranted  it — which  they  probably  did  not,  the  88th 
being  in  the  second  line. 


660 


COLONEL  F.  T.  SHERMAN’S  REPORT. 


Referring  in  terms  of  praise  to  Colonels  Laiboldt 
and  Miller,  of  the  2d  Missouri  and  36th  Illinois,  the 
report  concludes : 

^’I  take  great  pleasure  in  calling  the  attention  of  the  general 
commanding  to  their  distinguished  services.  I also  recommend  to 
the  general  commanding,  for  favorable  notice,  Colonel  Jaquess,  73d 
Illinois ; Colonel  Barrett,  44th  Illinois ; Colonel  Marsh,  74th  Illi- 
nois; Colonel  Conrad,  15th  Missouri;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chan- 
dler, 88th  Illinois ; Lieutenant-Colonel  Olson,  36th  Illinois  ; Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Beck,  2d  Missouri,  for  meritorious  conduct  and  cool 
courage  they  displayed  in  the  action,  each  one  leading  his  regiment 
in  the  assault,  until  the  ridge  was  taken,  and  by  their  example 
encouraging  and  inspiring  their  men  with  confidence  to  deeds  of 
bravery  and  valor.  I take  this  opportunity  to  make  favorable 
mention  of  the  officers  attached  to  the  brigade  staff,  Captain  B. 
Carroll,  Lieutenant  John  M.  Turnbull,  Lieutenant  N.  P.  Jackson, 
and  Lieutenant  Morse,  21st  Michigan,  acting  assistant  adjutant- 
general,  for  the  prompt  and  cool  manner  in  which  they  executed 
the  orders  intrusted  to  them.” 

From  No.  29,  page  198,  same  volume,  we  copy  the 
following  from  the  report  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Porter 
C.  Olson,  commanding  the  36th  Illinois,  in  the  battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge  : 

“ Of  the  conduct  of  the  enlisted  men,  the  facts  stated  in  this 
report  form  a more  brilliant  compliment  than  any  other  that  could 
be  given.  I must,  however,  mention  the  name  of  the  flag-bearer. 
Private  William  R.  Fall,  of  Company  C,  for  bravery.  He  can 
have  no  superior ; he  was  among  the  first  to  reach  the  summit  and 
wave  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,” 

From  No.  30,  page  199,  same  volume,  we  copy  from 
the  report  of  Colonel  W.  W.  Barrett,  commanding  the 
44th  Illinois,  and  first  line,  in  which  line  also  were  the 
36th  and  73d  Illinois,  as  follows: 

“ At  this  point  Captain  Harnisch,  of  Company  E,  took  the 
colors  which  had  fallen,  and,  while  carrying  them  conspicuously 
up  to  the  third  line  of  works,  was  shot  dead.  The  colors  were  now 


COLONEL  J.  F.  JAQUESS’S  REPORT, 


661 


taken  up  by  Abraham  Loring,  a private  of  Company  H,  who 
carried  them  conspicuously  in  front  of  the  whole  line,  and  planted 
them  first  of  any  upon  the  enemy’s  works  on  top  of  the 
ridge. 

“ I desire  to  make  especial  mention  of  Abraham  Loring,  a pri- 
vate of  Company  H,  for  his  bravery  in  taking  the  fallen  colors 
and  planting  them  first  upon  the  ridge,  and  Benedict  Waldvogel, 
a private.  Company  A,  who,  by  killing  a rebel  captain,  caused  the 
capture  of  an  entire  company  of  the  enemy.” 

No.  31, pages  200,  201,  same  volume,  we  copy  in  full : 

REPORT  OE  CORONER  JAMES  F.  JAQUESS,  SEVENTY-THIRD 
IRRINOIS  INFANTRY. 

“ Head-quarters  73d  Regiment,  Illinois  Infantry.  I 
“ Chattanooga,  November  27,  1863.  / 

“ Colonel, — I have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report, 
of  the  part  taken  by  my  regiment  in  the  engagement  of  the  25th : 

“ There  seemed  to  be  a perfect  confidence  among  officers  and 
men  in  the  success  of  the  move  to  be  made ; hence  the  order  for 
forward  was  received  with  unusual  joy  and  delight.  In  making 
the  charge  across  the  valley  and  up  Mission  Ridge,  the  regiment  was 
in  front,  with  the  44th  Illinois  on  the  right,  and  the  36th  Illinois 
on  the  left.  There  was  no  faltering.  When  we  reached  the  first 
rifle-pits,  we  halted  but  for  a moment  to  take  breath ; having  ad- 
vanced on  the  run  for  about  one  mile,  the  men  were  quite  ex- 
hausted. It  required  but  a few  moments,  however,  till  we  were 
ready  for  the  ‘ forward !’  On  we  charged,  passing  the  second  line 
of  works,  dealing  death  to  the  flying  foe.  The  ascent  from  here 
to  the  top  of  the  hill  was  difficult.  The  fallen  trees,  rocks,  and 
underbrush,  though  impeding  our  progress,  afforded  us  some  pro- 
tection, and  over  these  we  climbed  under  the  flying  missiles  of  the 
foe,  eager  to  plant  our  colors  on  the  top  of  the  ridge.  We  were 
among  the  first  that  reached  the  goal. 

“I  have  no  language  equal  to  the  task  of  expressing  my  ad- 
miration of  the  courage  and  noble  daring  of  my  officers  and  men. 
To  make  special  mention  of  any  would  seem  to  do  injustice  to 
others,  but  I must  be  allowed  to  speak  of  a few  cases  of  special 
note.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Davidson  was  wounded  at  the  first  rifle- 
pit,  after  having  heroically  and  bravely  cheered  the  men  through 
the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  that  was  poured  out  on  us,  as  we  crossed 
the  open  field  in  reaching  the  enemy’s  first  works.  He  was  ordered 


662 


COLOR-BEARER  R.  J.  HASTY. 


to  the  rear.  Captain  Bennett,  in  charge  of  Companies  A,  B,  and 
y,  deployed  as  skirmishers,  assisted  by  Captain  Cross,  of  Company 
A,  Lieutenant  Patten,  of  Company  B,  did  a work  that  entitles 
them  and  their  men  to  lasting  praise  and  honor.  Captain  Kyger, 
of  Company  C,  for  gallantry  in  pushing  forward  the  colors,  and 
Captain  Morgan,  of  Company  H,  and  Lieutenant  Wolgemuth,  of 
the  same  Company,  Lieutenant  Bodman,  commanding  Company 
D,  and  Lieutenant  Van  Winkle,  commanding  Company  K,  deserve 
great  praise  for  courage  and  promptness  in  pushing  forward  their 
respective  companies.  Lieutenant  Tilton,  Adjutant  Wilmer,  and 
Sergeant-Major  Garrett,  my  special  assistants  after  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Davidson  was  wounded,  did  noble  service. 

“ Captain  Burroughs,  of  Company  E,  deserves  special  mention, 
he  being  the  only  captain  remaining  of  those  present  at  the  organi- 
zation of  the  regiment.  Captain  Burroughs  has  been  in  every 
fight,  and  has  displayed  coolness  and  courage  which  has  won  the 
admiration  of  all.  Corporal  Hasty,  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  who 
carried  the  colors,  has  won  for  himself,  his  cause,  and  his  country, 
everlasting  honors,  and  no  officer  or  soldier  in  this  or  any  other 
part  of  the  army  deserves  more  praise  than  Corporal  Hasty.  He 
will  be  rewarded  with  promotion  in  his  company.  His  associates 
in  the  color-guard  did  nobly. 

“The  73d  Illinois  captured  more  prisoners  in  number  than  there 
were  men  in  the  regiment.  The  casualties  in  the  regiment  were : 
three  privates  killed ; one  officer — Lieutenant-Colonel  Davidson — 
wounded ; twenty-three  privates  wounded,  some  two  or  three  of 
them  mortally.  The  73d  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers  has  lost 
many  valuable  men  since  it  entered  the  service,  but  is  still  ready 
for  any  emergency  of  march  or  battle.  We  are  ready  to  do  or 
suffer.  I have  the  honor  to  be  Yours  truly, 

“James  F.  Jaquess, 

“ Colonel  73d  Illinois  Infantry  Volunteers. 

“ Colonel  F.  T.  Sherman,  Commanding  1st  Brigade,  2d  Division, 
4th  Army  Corps.” 

From  No.  32,  pages  202-3,  same  volume,  being  the 
report  of  Jason  Marsh,  colonel  commanding  74th  Illi- 
nois Volunteers,  we  extract  the  following: 

“ Where  all  did  their  duty  so  nobly,  so  bravely,  it  would  be  un- 
just and  impracticable  to  particularize  individuals;  and  yet  I can 


COLOR-BEARERS  DID  NOBLY. 


663 


not  forbear  to  make  mention  of  the  unexampled  bravery  of  my 
color-bearer,  Sergeant  Allen,  who  kept  the  advance  from  the  first 
until  within  six  or  eight  rods  of  the  crest,  where  he  was  struck  down 
and  disabled.  The  flag  was  then  seized  by  Corporal  S.  C.  Comp- 
ton, who  bravely  bore  it  erect  to  within  a few  feet  of  the  crest,  when 
he  was  shot  dead.  Private  Hensey,  of  Company  I,  then  seized  it, 
as  by  instinct  of  duty,  and  planted  it  where  it  was  started — on 
the  breast- work,  on  the  very  crest  of  Missionary  Ridge,  which 
they  had  boastingly  but  vainly  regarded  as  inaccessible  and  im- 
pregnable.” 

From  No.  33,  pages  203-4,  same  volume,  we  copy 
the  following  from  the  report  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
George  W.  Chandler,  commanding  88th  Illinois  : 

“ This  fire,  not  in  any  way  diminishing,  I ordered  the  colors  for- 
ward on  the  works,  which  a moment  afterward  were  carried,  and 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  waved  triumphantly  on  Missionary  Ridge,  the 
enemy  being  in  full  retreat  and  great  confusion. 

“ It  affords  me  great  satisfaction  to  mention  our  brave  color- 
bearer,  Sergeant  John  Cheevers.  Gallantly  he  carried  our  banner, 
planting  it  always  in  the  advance  for  the  regiment  to  rally  on, 
never  letting  it  trail  in  the  dust,  but  waving  it  encouragingly  to 
those  behind,  and  defiantly  to  the  enemy  before  him,  never  falter- 
ing till  he  waved  it  over  the  top  of  Missionary  Ridge.” 

From  No.  34,  page  205,  same  volume,  being  the  re- 
port of  M.  Gooding,  colonel  commanding  22d  Indiana 
Volunteers,  we  copy  the  following  : 

“I  will  recommend  Color-Sergeant  Geo.  W.  Gibson,  Company 
C ; Color-Corporals  John  Caton,  Company  F ; and  Theodore  B. 
Ridlen,  Company  H,  to  the  Governor  of  Indiana  for  promotion,  for 
their  gallantry  in  action,  and  for  the  admirable  manner  in  wliich 
they  escorted  the  colors  up  the  heights  of  Missionary  Ridge.”  . 

There  is  no  mention  of  the  regimental  colors  or  color- 
bearer  in  the  report  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Beck,  com- 
manding the  2d  Missouri  Volunteers. 

From  No.  36,  page  207,  same  imlume,  being  the 


664 


OTHER  HONORABLE  MENTION. 


report  of  Captain  Samuel  Rexinger,  commanding  15th 
Missouri  Volunteers,  we  copy  the  following: 

“ . . . I would  particularly  mention  from  personal  view 

the  following  men  for  their  brave  and  gallant  behavior : William 
Willi,  bugler,  who  kept  continually  in  front,  sounding  his  bugle  to 
advance  ; Michael  Keck,  our  color-bearer,  and  First  Sergeant  John 
H.  Droste,  Company  I ; and  Corporal  Ulrich  Frei,  Company  E,  for 
keeping  with  the  flag,  most  always  in  front  of  the  whole  storming 
column.  Our  colors  were  the  second  ones  inside  of  the  intrench- 
ments  at  the  summit  of  the  hill.  . . .” 

From  No.  37,  page  208,  same  volume,  being  the  re- 
port of  Major  Carl  von  Baumbach,  commanding  24th 
Wisconsin  Volunteers,  we  copy  the  following : 

“ . . . I would  most  respectfully  mention  Adjutant  Arthur 

McArthur,  Jr.,  for  his  bravery.  When  the  color-sergeant  was  ex- 
hausted, he  carried  the  flag  in  front  of  the  regiment,  cheering  the 
men  to  follow  him  up  the  ridge.  . . .” 

From  pages  138-9,  volume  last  referred  to,  we  copy 
the  following  : 

“ Head-quarters  4th  Army  Corps,  Bragg’s  Head-quarters,  \ 

“ Missionary  Ridge,  Tennessee,  November  26,  1863.  / 

“ Soldiers  of  the  4th  Army  Corps  ; 

“The  following  dispatch  from  the  major-general,  commanding 
department,  is  published  for  your  information : 

“ ‘ Head-quarters  Department  of  the  Cumberland,  I 
“ ‘ Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  November  25, 1863.  i 
“ ‘ Major-General  Granger,  Missionary  Ridge  : 

“ ‘ Please  accept  my  congratulations  on  the  splendid  success  of 
your  troops,  and  convey  to  them  my  cordial  thanks  for  the  brilliant 
style  in  which  they  carried  the  enemy’s  works.  Their  conduct  can 
not  be  too  highly  appreciated.  Geo.  H.  Thomas, 

“ ‘ Major-General  Commanding.’ 

“ In  announcing  this  distinguished  recognition  of  your  signal 
gallantry  in  carrying,  through  a terrible  storm  of  iron,  a mountain 
crowned  with  batteries  and  encircled  with  rifle-pits,  I am  con- 
strained to  express  my  own  admiration  of  your  noble  conduct,  and 
I am  proud  to  tell  you  that  the  veteran  generals  from  other  fields 


THANKS,  SOLDIERS! 


665 


who  witnessed  your  heroic  bearing,  place  your  assault  and  triumph 
among  the  most  brilliant  achievements  of  the  war.  Thirty  cannon, 
more  than  three  thousand  prisoners,  and  several  battle-flags  taken 
from  the  enemy,  are  among  your  trophies.  Thanks,  soldiers! 
You  made  that  day  a glorious  page  of  history. 

“ G.  Granger,  Major-General  Commanding.” 

From  the  foregoing,  it  appears  the  22d  Indiana  was 
for  a brief  period  of  time  in  our  brigade.  Below 
find  the  report  of  Colonel  Laiboldt,  our  brigade  com- 
mander, on  the  campaign,  September  2—29,  1863.  It 
appears  from  this  that  Colonel  Jaquess  made  a report 
of  the  operations  of  the  73d  on  same  campaign,  but  it 
is  not  on  file  in  the  War  Records  Publication  Office. 
Later  reports  could  not  be  obtained  without  much 
trouble,  involving  expense  and  delay: 

REPORT  OF  COLONEL  BERNARD  LAIBOLDT,  SECOND  MIS- 
SOURI INFANTRY,  COMMANDING  SECOND  BRIGADE. 

“Head-quarters  2d  Brigade,  3d  Division,  20tii  Army  Corps,  \ 

“ In  Trenches  before  Chattanooga,  September  29,  1863.  j 

“ Sir, — In  compliance  to  circular  from  corps  head-quarters,  I 
have  the  honor  to  submit  to  you  the  following  report  of  the  move- 
ments of  my  brigade  since  crossing  the  Tennessee  River,  and  of  the 
part  it  took  during  the  late  engagement: 

“ After  crossing  the  Tennessee  River,  on  September  2,  1863,  we 
proceeded  to  Hog  Jaw  Valley,  from  where  we  ascended  the  Rac- 
coon Mountain  on  the  5th,  and  marched  to  Gunther’s  Mill. 

“On  the  6th  we  marched  over  to  Trenton,  on  Lookout  Creek,  and 
on  the  7th  to  Stevens’s  Mill,  on  Stuart’s  Creek. 

“On  the  10th  we  proceeded  through  the  Lookout  and  Will’s 
Valleys  to  Rock  Creek,  and  on  the  11th  reached  Alpine,  Georgia. 

“On  the  13th,  returning,  we  crossed  the  Lookout  Mountain, 
and  camped  on  Little  River.  Reached  Stevens’s  Mill  on  the  14th. 
Left  there  at  two  P.  M.  on  the  15th,  and  arrived  at  Johnson’s 
Creek  at  six  P.  M.  Ascending  Lookout  Mountain  on  the  16th, 
we  took  position  in  McLemore’s  Cove,  which  position  we  held  till 
the  18th.  Starting  at  nine  A.  M.  that  day,  we  marched  to  Lee’s 
Mill  and  Pond  Spring. 

“ On  the  19th  we  proceeded  to  Crawfish  Spring,  where  we  ar- 


G66 


REPORT  ON  CHICKAMAUGA. 


rived  about  one  P.  M.  My  brigade  was  the  first  formed  in  line 
of  battle  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  from  where  it  was  ordered  to  take 
position  near  Gordon’s  Mills,  and  to  guard  a ford  of  Chickamauga 
Creek.  At  about  4.30  P.  M.  my  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  battle- 
field to  support  General  Davis. 

“On  arriving  there,  a line  of  battle  was  formed  along  a road, 
and  one  regiment  ordered  to  advance,  but  the  enemy  having  already 
been  driven  by  Colonel  Bradley’s  brigade,  my  brigade  took  no  further 
part  in  the  struggle  of  that  day,  and  kept  their  position  until  near 
daybreak  of  the  20th,  when  we  were  ordered  to  the  extreme  right 
of  the  right  wing,  where  the  brigade  took  a position  on  a hill  near 
the  Chattanooga  road,  having  Colonel  Bradley’s  brigade  as  reserve. 

“At  11.30  o’clock  we  were  ordered  toward  the  center  to  sup- 
port General  Davis,  and  took  a very  favorable  position  on  the  slope 
of  a hill.  After  a short  interval,  when  General  Davis’s  division 
was  already  routed,  Major-General  McCook  ordered  the  brigade  to 
charge  in  the  rear  of  the  flying  troops,  and  promptly  obeying  the 
command,  the  position  on  the  hill-slope  was  abandoned,  and  the 
regiments,  with  charged  bayonets,  rushed  into  the  thicket  of  woods, 
parting  them  yet  [farther]  from  General  Davis’s  command,  unable 
to  fire  effectually  without  injuring  our  own  men.  Thrown  in  con- 
fusion by  the  fleeing  troops,  and  finally  exposed  to  the  scathing  fire 
of  the  enemy  in  front,  as  also  a fire  in  the  flank,  my  troops  gave 
way,  and  after  rallying  them  once  more,  but  not  being  able  to  hold 
a position,  I fell  back  to  the  mountains,  where,  after  the  lapse  of 
about  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  I succeeded  in  collecting  the  re- 
maining portion. 

“You  will  please  find  annexed  the  list  of  casualties  during 
the  engagement. 

“In  connection  with  the  official  report  of  the  participation  of 
ray  brigade  in  the  late  engagement,  I have  the  honor  to  remark 
that  the  commanding  officers  of  the  2d  Missouri  Volunteers  and  the 
73d  Illinois  Volunteers  make  no  especial  mention  in  their  respective 
reports  of  cases  of  courage  and  bravery,  as,  in  their  opinion,  offi- 
cers and  men  alike  sustained  their  former  reputation  of  true  cour- 
age and  unflinching  valor. 

“ The  commanding  officer  of  the  15th  Missouri  Volunteers  men- 
tions especially  his  adjutant,  First  Lieutenant  Friedrich  Lipps,  and 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  44th  Illinois  Infantry,  Major  Sabin ; 
Captains  Freysleben  and  Knappen,  and  Acting  Adjutant  First  Lieu- 
tenant Weyhrich,  for  gallant  conduct.  Lieutenant  Schueler,  com- 


LAIBOLDT’S  REPORT— NOTE. 


667 


manding  Battery  G,  1st  Missouri  Artillery,  mentions  Second  Lieu- 
tenant John  Miller  and  Sergeant  S.  H.  Jennings  for  brave  behavior. 

“ I take  great  pleasure  to  state  that  Lieutenant-Colonel  A.  Beck, 
2d  Missouri  Volunteers ; Colonel  Conrad,  15th  Missouri  Volunteers ; 
Colonel  Barrett,  44th  Illinois  Volunteers  ; and  Colonel  Jaquess,  73d 
Illinois  Volunteers,  and  First  Lieutenant  Schueler,  commanding 
Battery  G,  1st  Missouri  Artillery,  entitled  themselves,  by  their  un- 
flinching courage  and  gallant  behavior  during  the  engagement,  to 
the  highest  commendations.  The  company  of  sharp-shooters 
(Captain  Ernst)  did  the  work  assigned  to  them  faithfully ; while 
the  members  of  my  staff.  Major  Spinzig,  brigade  surgeon ; Captain 
Fuelle,  acting  assistant  adjutant-general ; Captain  Morgan,  brigade 
inspector ; Captain  Carroll,  provost-marshal ; Captain  Gale,  assistant 
quartermaster  and  commissary  of  subsistence ; First  Lieutenant 
NeudorfF,  aid-de-camp;  and  Second  Lieutenant  Heydtman,  topo- 
graphical engineer,  merit  my  acknowledgment  of  their  zeal  and 
activity  during  the  campaign,  and  in  battle.  I feel  it  incumbent 
on  me  to  especially  mention  Captain  B,  A.  Carroll  and  Lieutenant 
Neudorff*,  whose  untiring  efforts  in  assisting  me  to  rally  the  bri- 
gade I shall  always  thankfully  remember. 

“ I have  the  honor  to  sign,  your  obedient  servant, 

“B,  Laiboldt,  Colonel  Commanding  2d  Brigade, 

“ 3d  Division,  20th  Army  Corps. 

“ Captain  George  Lee, 

“Assistant  Adjutant-General,  3d  Division,  20fch  Army  Corps.” 

Note. — The  necessity  of  conforming  pretty  closely  to  the  plan  outlined  in 
table  of  contents,  and  the  unexpectedly  large  proportions  this  work  has 
attained,  obliged  us  to  omit  mention  of  many  matters  we  had  intended  to  notice 
in  chapter  ix,  among  these  being  : 1st.  The  narrow  escape  of  the  73d  from  the  gall- 
ing fire  of  a rebel  battery  while  lying  in  the  railroad  cut  at  Stone  River,  Decem- 
ber 31, 1862.  Our  escape  was  due  to  the  “ weather  eye  ” of  Sergeant-Major  Castle, 
who,  immediately  on  noticing  the  posting  of  the  battery,  moved  the  regiment 
out  of  cut.  2d.  The  request  of  Mrs.  General  George  H.  Thomas  that  Opdycke’s 
brigade  make  a charge,  on  the  occasion  of  the  review  of  the  4th  Corps  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  in  May,  1865.  This  request  was  further  proof  of  recognition 
accorded  by  General  Thomas  to  our  brigade,  for  services  at  Franklin,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1864.  3d.  Detached  service.  Many  officers  and  men  of  the  73d  did  duty 
at  times  away  from  the  regiment,  viz. : Dr.  Pond,  Captains  Pratt  and  Morgan, 
and  Quartermaster  Slavens.  4th.  Pensions.  5th.  Anecdotes  were  omitted,  as 
were  also  some  accounts  of  foraging  and  scouting  ventures.  6th.  Some  sketches 
are  shown  only  in  part.  Cammire’s  account  was  shortened  to  the  extent  that 
the  statement  of  his  experience  while  hid  in  a hogshead,  at  same  time  being 
sought  after,  is  omitted.  Our  thanks  are  extended  to  printers  and  binders  for 
good  quality  of  material  and  excellence  of  mechanical  execution  of  this  work, 
and  to  Captain  Castle  for  trouble  taken  in  keeping  a “weather  eye’'  lookout 
for  errors,  to  the  end  that  very  few,  if  any,  might  appear  in  these  pages.  His 
experience  with  a section  of  wagon-train  in  October,  1862,  doubtless  increas  ’ 
the  capacity  of  that  eye.  Chapters  viii,  ix,  and  x of  this  history  have  been  el 
trotyped.  W.  H.  N. 


